The Song of Mawu. Jeff Edwards
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has a question to write it down and pass it to me. That way we hope that things will flow more easily. I will open proceedings by noting that we are interviewing Dr Daniel Zibu, a trauma surgeon from Guy’s Hospital and a citizen of Namola. He is the son of Chand Zibu a former leader of an opposition movement in Namola. When President Joseph Lattua found out about the movement, Chand Zibu was brought down along with his associates. Is that correct so far?’
‘Yes, but what has that to do with anything? I thought you wanted to ask me about medical matters?’
‘I’m afraid you misinterpreted our request Dr Zibu. We need your expertise as a citizen of Namola, not as a surgeon,’ said Nori Akuba gently. ‘The Fund has interests in your homeland and we need detailed background information to ensure our further success. I’m so sorry if we didn’t make ourselves clear.’
‘What sort of interests?’
‘It seems that President Lattua is in the habit of taking whatever he desires if it lies within his borders. To stop him stealing from us a second time we need to know how to structure our projects. Your knowledge is vital in that regard.’
Daniel Zibu snorted derisively, ‘The only way that you could possibly keep anything away from that greedy bastard would be to overthrow him.’
Brian nodded, ‘That has been raised as a possibility. Not one that we as a charity would contemplate. We are not revolutionaries.’
‘Besides,’ added Toby Brown, ‘If Lattua was removed, there’s no reason to believe that whoever replaces him will be any better. At least Lattua is not conducting mass extermination of the populace as some of his neighbours seem to be intent on doing.’
Daniel Zibu nodded in agreement, ‘Yes, he’s a much ‘nicer’ dictator than most but his record of abuse grows every day.’
‘In what way?’
‘Neglect would be the first charge. Every day the country is spiralling toward economic ruin. Simple day-to-day luxuries have become out of the reach of the ordinary man in the street. Soon my people will also begin to run out of the necessities of life and when they do, hundreds and then thousands will die. It will be mass murder by other means.’
‘How did this come about?’
Daniel Zibu spoke about current matters and confirmed what Sam and Bree had already told them. ‘The regional Governors are told how much they must collect in taxes for the central government office in Lobacra. Anything over and above that amount is for the Governor to keep. Not only is it supposed to be used to run the province but to repair and maintain the infrastructure. Lattua increases the sum to be raised each year leaving less and less for the Governors to do their work. More often than not the Governors simply give up and keep the excess funds without doing any of the necessary work. Then the infrastructure breaks down and the people find it more and more difficult to earn their living and pay their taxes. Then the Governors have to press harder to get the taxes necessary to pay Lattua. It keeps going around and around, year after year, getting steadily worse as time goes on.’
‘The crash is not far off?’ asked Brian.
‘My father certainly thought so, yes.’
‘And that’s why he tried to set up an opposition party?’
‘Yes.’
‘What happened?’
‘They were betrayed. Probably from within and probably for money, I don’t think there was only one traitor because several of his former allies now hold positions of power in the country.’
Rod Taylor interjected, ‘I’d like a list of those people if possible Dr Zibu,’ and Daniel Zibu nodded in his direction, ‘I’ll give you what I can remember when we’re finished here.’
‘What happened to your father?’
‘After killing my entire family and all my father’s associates, he let my father go free but refused to allow him to leave the country. Namola is to be his prison until the day he dies. I don’t know where he is at present. He could be anywhere. They thought I had been killed with the rest of my family and my life would be at risk if I returned or tried to contact him. The last I was told he was doing a menial job somewhere in the countryside. I’m told that Lattua keeps a very close eye on him to make sure that no one offers him any means of support. Lattua wants him alive as an example to others.’
‘And that’s why you can’t return and practice in Namola?’
‘I would dearly love to return home and help my people, but there is no way that I can. Some day I hope to help him escape, but that will take a great deal of money and planning.’
‘So you’re stuck in England?’
‘Yes, but Namola is still my home. I will return some day.’
‘What does your wife think about that?’ asked Justine.
Lana and Suzie smirked at the girl’s obvious question, causing their husbands to look in their direction.
Oblivious to the joke Daniel Zibu replied candidly, ‘There is no Mrs Zibu I’m afraid. There seems to be a shortage of eligible Namolan women even in such a cosmopolitan city as London.’
His answer brought a bright smile to Justine’s lips and a pair of further smirks from Lana and Suzie.
‘We seem to be getting off the track here,’ commented Brian Reynolds dryly. ‘I’m the one who is supposed to be doing the interview,’ and he resumed his questions, ‘Now then Dr Zibu, if we could locate your father, would he be willing to speak to us?’
‘As I said before, Lattua keeps a close watch on him. If you were able to find him and talk to him, it would have to be in the most circumspect way.’
‘I think we have the right person in Namola at the moment to do that.’
‘He’d have to be extremely vigilant.’
‘Oh I’m sure he will be,’ Brian consulted a list of questions that had been handed to him. ‘One of our people would like to know how the regional Governors are selected, and if they can they choose which province they are sent to govern?’
‘Money,’ replied Daniel, ‘It all comes down to money. You pay Lattua the current price and he will award you with a province. Pay enough money and you may even be able to select the province you want.’
‘How does he enforce the collection of taxes?’
‘Through the army. General Thomas Lattua is always ready to jump to his brother’s call to arms. As it becomes harder and harder for the people to meet their tax burden then increasingly it has to be done at the end of a rifle.’
‘So, if we attempt to outsmart one Lattua, we also need to outsmart the other.’
‘Absolutely!’
Brian turned to the next question and his brow knotted when he read it. Obviously it had come from one of the new recruits and one from the anthropological realms of university. ‘Could you tell us how important the ancient legends are to your average Namolan?’ he asked.
Daniel Zibu gave a short laugh. ‘Like all educated Namolans I was also brought up on the stories of the ancient past. As children we are taught the stories of the gods and how they created the world in which we now live. The stories are important for many reasons. They teach us what to grow, when to plant, and how to best care for our stock. All vital to the well being of the country and it’s continued sustainable use.’
‘However,’ he continued. ‘If you ask an educated Namolan he will tell you that he is far too educated to believe in the ancient mysteries. Science has replaced the old legands but if you attempted to go against the old teachings you would soon find invisible barriers placed in your path. As long as modern science and ancient stories travel the same path, no such barriers appear.’
‘That is how the modern well-educated Namolan thinks. For