The night Namaga’s hut was burnt down all the inhabitants of the thirty villages of Wudma were asleep. Who is the culprit? The men set about finding out by means of the ancient institution of the Afersata, the traditional Ethiopian way of investigating crimes. Although various sessions are held and many witnesses are examined, nobody is found guilty. This story centres round the Afersata and vividly shows the interaction of characters in such circumstances. There are the petty government officials who authorize the holding of the Afersata meetings, the elders who conduct the Afersata ceremony, members of the submerged class who see a recognition of their civic rights being allowed to sit at the meetings and young civil servants who advocate reforms. They all help to bring this African village to life.
