Rat trap – an African relationship

Most of the times we sit back and laugh when countries near us burn down. In the spirit of brotherhood, we spur each other on.

Mobutu Sese Seko. Idi Amin. Kamuzu Banda. Africa watched when Jean-Bedel Bokassa of the Central Africa Republic ate his people. The same with General Sani Abacha of Nigeria and Ahmed Sekou Toure of Guinea

Even though everybody knew what was happening in Zaire. Uganda. Malawi. Nobody cared to act.

Today, Africa is doing the same with Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe – now Sadc chairperson. Nobody dares speak out. Instead they choose to blame sanctions for Zimbabwe's problems. Yet they forget the corruption. The theft of minerals. And the general run-down of the country.

For most people, what is happening to Zimbabwe and the people can never happen to them. Zimbabweans like rats are appealing to Sadc to watch the dangerous trap. Nobody cares. Because Africa ignores. Africa watches. Passively. Noncommittal.

Reminds me of the Rat, Hen and Cow in one folktale. The three stayed in one house. One day, the man of the house set a trap for the Rat. When the Rat saw the trap, he told Hen about it.

“Do you see that trap?” Rat said to Hen.

“That's for you,” Hen said. “It's too small to harm me.”

“That trap is dangerous,” Rat said. “It's small for you but it is dangerous.”

Hen cackled and waded away to the rubbish dump to fend for the day. Rat saw the goat tethered on the hem of the homestead. He rushed there after checking if the Dog was out of sight.

Goat turned when she saw Rat coming.

“There is a trap in the house,” Rat said, out of breath. “It's dangerous for us.”

Goat bleated and kicked her rear legs.

“That trap is your problem. I don't stay in the house. And I don't see how it is dangerous to me,” Goat said.

“But...” Rat tried to convince Goat.

“But what? That trap does not concern me,” bleated Goat. “Now get lost.”

Dejected, Rat started walking back into the house but stopped when he saw the Cow grazing close to the kraal. He rushed to tell Cow about the trap in the house.

“There is a trap in the house. It's dangerous. Please do something,” Rat said.

Cow looked at Rat in disbelief. “What?” Cow asked after swallowing cud.

“Trap. There is a trap in the house,” Rat repeated.

“That's for you who stay in the house. Deal with it,” Cow said, turning to show Rat the kraal. “I stay there.”

While going back into the house, Snake appeared from the grass close to where Cow was grazing. Then in a flash, Snake started chasing Rat into the house. Once inside, Rat ran around. And led Snake to the trap. Blind with anger, Snake followed and was caught in the trap.

Later in the day, Man walked in and saw that the trap had caught something. He then opened it and Snake bit him on the cheek.

In panic, neighbours rushed Man to the hospital where he battled for his life. Family and friends trickled in after hearing about the incident. That evening, the people at the Man's homestead had nothing to eat. And the Man's sister suggested that they should kill the Hen for relish.

Hen was chased around, caught and her legs were tied, before being thrown in a room. While there waiting for his death, Rat sneaked up to her.

“I told you that the trap was dangerous. Now look,” Rat said, but Hen did not say anything.

Two days later. Man got serious. More people came. And the sister suggested that they should kill the Goat to feed people.

Goat was tethered in the eaves of one of the huts. Rat sneaked up to her and said: “Look, my friend. I told you that the trap is dangerous. Now see.”

Goat just like Hen did not say anything.

On the fifth day, Man died. And more people came to the funeral. It was decided then that Cow should be killed so that the people can have relish. Cow was brought in, and tethered not far away from the hut.

Rat went over to her and said: “I told you that the trap was dangerous. Now see.”

Cow did not say anything.