JahLisha Israel Reports On Shashamane

From The Rastafari Expression,
A regular column by Kaya I IsesaJah, Nov 19, 2006         

Shashemane 2006 celebration of H.I.M.

The July celebrations were marred by the accidental death of a 9 year old girl who was hit by an out of control car during the weeks leading up to the celebrations. This was a sure sign, for those aware. Just as months before there had been an earthquake that had split the road of the Kings Highway in an area called ziway over a hundred kilometres from the Shashamane land grant, i could read the signs, but was I alone? Was Satan about to make his play?

Three healthy brethren suspiciously died, the likelihood being poisoned, this could be put down to them having more than one woman at a time. Although Ethiopian woman can be the most attractive, they can be dangerous so be sure of their full intentions. what strikes me about Ethiopia is that judgemant reaches you fast, so when you visit be on your best behaviour.

A year ago a burial ground was given to the community where a sistren from the Binghihouse was buried, and recently a brother passed on to the surprise of the community and this land had been confiscated.

The town of Shashemane was now being called a "city". Expansion had come and with that greed, and the municipality/town hall were up to there eyeballs in corruption. They had now begun to confiscate land that was not occupied on the land grant, and had started to mark out new roads, even threatening to knock down the Nyhabingi tabernacle, and peoples homes! They did not recognize the Emperors land grant and the dialogue was "lease land" only!

Out of the legal 55 investments by Rasta and the diaspora, only 5 were up and running. They had lost my file for the third time, and the officers were refusing to talk with me, giving me the run around, after 2 years of trying to set a small factory to teach woman sewing, embroidery and silk screen printing. I was not getting anywhere, it was one foot forward and two steps backward!! Complaints had gone to the investment commission in Addis Ababa, but still there was dead lock.

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As the days drew nearer to the celebration, it was evident that the Nyhabingi order had no programme. They were all in pieces and disunity, from gossiping and putting each other down. The leader Congo Rocky had just gone through a list of allegations about how he 'brought fish and alcohol onto the church grounds' and that this was not permitted by the order. Also included in the allegations, 'holding Reggae shows', which had dropped the number of congregation that normally attended.

Another one of the Elders had just come out of jail for the third time. It seems that a white man from Belgium had started to buy up pieces of the land grant through a 12 tribes man and he had stayed with the elder then moved all his friends in. He then attempted to throw the elder out of his own house claiming it was now his and even paid the police to put him inside when he became angry.

It seemed some 12 tribes were more interested in making money off the Emperors name, and only a hand full of sistren had not lost the plot and knew that holy day was about getting the message across. The Bobo Shanti kept a low profile, after there leading priest had assaulted a woman earlier in the year.

The EWF Ethiopian World Federation were at loggerheads with the JRDC Jamaican Rastafarian Development Community, who had declared themselves the community leaders and represented the voice of the community.

A huge ganja bust had happened and it was on TV , which gave rise to the Pentecostal Church to start demonstrating that Rasta should leave Shashamane. This was backed by locals who claimed that the Jamaicans were abusing there woman, not marrying them before sexual relations.

It seemed to me that within the space of two weeks before the celebration hell was breaking loose and I wondered, would I be the next victim? The night before the celebrationas I walked to the 12 tribes HQ an Ethiopian sister had just gotten off the bus from Addis Ababa (a 250 mile journey) to celebrate. 2 local youths approached her and asked for some change. She put her bag down to go into her purse and the youths then snatched her bag running off into the night stealing her bag.