Ethiopia, The Remain of Volksvagen

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It remains an odd sight to see an old Volksvagen beetle motorcar trundling around Addis Ababa. “Odd,” simply because I associate them with the swinging sixties, a relic of my parents’ generation. “Remains,” because they have been in the country for some time and yet still seem out of place – contrary to the bearing of the proud Ethiopian.

vw ethiopia 300x199 Ethiopia, The Remain of Volksvagen

Volkswagen beetle, beautifully restored in Gonder, Ethiopia.

You can’t help but notice them. They are less common than the pervasive blue and white Ladas, used for taxis. But they are far more striking in their old fashioned oranges, limes and beige – probably not repainted since back in the day.

And they hold a special place in the history of Ethiopia. A beetle was the very car that the former Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie, was taken away in immediately following his dethronement. On the appointed day, he was arrested at his palace and whisked away in the back of yellow vee-dub, reportedly waving regally as the car – sans motorcade – made its way towards his prison where he would die less than a year later.

Since I learned that fact – and saw the photo to go with it – every time I see a beetle in Addis, I think of that diminutive monarch and wonder if the Dergue that overthrew him were being ironic in their choice of a Volksvagen: the “people’s car.” For, despite his rhetoric, his opulence and greed had shown he was anything but a man of the people.

HaileSelassie 1974 vw2 300x199 Ethiopia, The Remain of Volksvagen

On 12th September 1974, Ethiopia's autocratic Emperor, Haile Selassie, (the Lion of Judah) was deposed after more than 44 years in power.

Haile Selassie has long gone, as has the bloody dictatorship that overthrew him. His legacy lives on – not least in the African Union and the Rastafarian religion, the followers of which chose to revere the dictator as a god – but he is no more.

And the beetle lives on. They are still here, trundling around the city. Much like Ethiopians themselves, who have endured so much as a people, the beetle has endured. They are survivors. Fiercely refusing to give up in a context that is frequently less than hospitable. And carrying on with a certain dignity. Perhaps they are slightly out of their time, much like the Ethiopian pride in never having been colonised – it really is a thing of the past – but against the odds, they are driving inexorably on towards a future shaped by the past, but not restrained by it.

Perhaps the Volksvagen colonised a generation of drivers the world over. Perhaps the Ethiopians were ultimately colonised – by aid money. But one day, the last vee-dub will break down. One day Ethiopia will have to stand on its own feet – as the role of that first yellow beetle promised. For Ethiopians craving real democracy and real development, I’m sure that day cannot come soon enough.

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Matt Gibbs

An aid worker by training, but a show-off by nature, Matt has been a bit of a nomad; working in Papua New Guinea, Sudan, Sweden, Kenya, a handful of Pacific Island States and Ethiopia – in addition to his native Australia – for the past six and a half years. Matt is currently penning children’s books with his writing partner and deciding whether his nomadic lifestyle should be thrown in for some nesting…

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G22

Dear Matt Gibbs,
Why are you jealous with Ethiopian pridefreedom? I am not sure where you are from but yes freedom is priceless. I prefer poverty forever rather than giving my freedom! You worked hard to find a way to take away Ethiopian pride/freedom by saying Ethiopia is colonized by aid money. Let me teach you the fact: Ethiopia is one of the least aid receivers’ per-capital in the world and over 60% of all aid money never reached the supposed country & stays in the West for the bureaucrat like you (maybe). Go and read US congress report on aid. So my friends do your homework before you express hate towards Ethiopia. I do apologize if any Ethiopian disappointed you while you were there knowingly or unknowingly, misunderstanding happens and I hope I didn’t misunderstood you. Take care!
Aarif

Yes I an I love Ethiopia Emperor Hailie Selassie was great a very great man who was that guy trying to talk nonsense about Ethiopia???
chuchu

dude, take a chill pill. Stating the truth is not a crime. It’s a known fact 40% of Ethiopia’s budget comes from World Bank and IMF. This is without taking into considarations the humanitarian aid we get every year. So it is not a lie to state Ethiopia is colonized by aid money
Matt Gibbs

G22, many thanks for your comment. Indeed, I had no intention of expressing jealousy, nor hate towards Ethiopia. I have the greatest respect for Ethiopians – a people who have endured so much over the past generation or so. Of course, too much pride can become problematic, but my point regarding aid money was that it seems to have colonised many countries – including Ethiopia. I am something of an aid sceptic (for some of the reasons you mention), not an Ethio-sceptic. My sense from Ethiopians is that they want to participate in their own development – both in democratic and economic terms – and I believe that aid money can unintentionally (and ironically) hinder that process, as can a national government with limited democratic credentials. I hope that my overarching point in the article – about Ethiopian strength and perseverance – remains the salient point. cheers, Matt