The story around town last week was that Prime Minister Meles Zenawi would have one of his rare audiences with members of Addis Abeba’s artistic community today, on June 5, 2011.

Rare because, unlike his soft spot for a very few select songs in Tigrigna, Sudanese, English, and Amharic (particularly those of Aster Aweke), seldom is his habit of attending theatres in town to be entertained by stage performances, gossip claimed.

During his reign of two decades, his once reported private audience with three legends – the late Tilahun Gessese, Mohammoud Ahmed, and Aster – was probably the only to date, according to gossip.

A few years ago, there was a great deal of debate among the industry’s bigwigs on whether the quality of art in Ethiopia has improved. However, it is obvious that the artistic community in Ethiopia has long been an orphan of official patronage, felt gossip.

Another aspect of drama appears to have been refined over the years, gossip observed. It could also be described as a real life soap opera; two seemingly unrelated events stand especially tall and above other occurrences of last week.

The Revolutionary Democrats have a leader whose dissertation for a doctoral study has slipped into the official policy of his administration, despite a disclaimer that it did not reflect the views of the government.

The only social group that should not be welcomed in the broader coalition of society to create a one party dominant state is the private sector, he argued in the paper. There is no ambiguity; it is very clear!

Yet, last week Addis Abeba witnessed several banners on its “boulevards” and main roads conveying “happy anniversary” wishes from an obscure collection of businessmen who have established a self-described investor’s forum in support of the EPRDF.

It was formed by a little over 80 businesspeople during a meeting held at the Intercontinental Hotel a couple of months ago, with Tsegaye Abebe as chairman and Abnet W. Meskel as its deputy. Many members are in a quiet tug-of-war with the EPRDFites over their vested interests, claimed gossip.

Ironically, the latter appears to know full well what they say in private about their policies and governance, according to gossip.

Their relationship of convenience is based on deception and pretence, claimed gossip. Perhaps, this is the “Catholic marriage,” those in the gossip corridors mused.

Funny enough, this pretentious and deceptive nature of the relationship was exhibited last week by some of the movers and shakers of Addis Abeba’s business circle, gossip observed

With May being the month of merry making, a grand and extravagant wedding party was held at the Hilton on Sunday, May 29, 2011.

Abebaw Desta, the embattled member of the trio at Star Business Group (SBG), who has made substantial investments in five-star hotels in Bahir Dar and Debremarkos Town, both in Amhara Regional State, gave away his daughter, Sentayehu, in marriage.

Close to 3,000 guests were invited to attend the party for which the hotel put up two colossal tents behind the building to absorb latecomers and the spillover from the main ballroom.

By any measure, it was successful, efficiently organised, and demonstrated the family’s wealth, came the verdict from the gossip corridors.

This would have been the case if it were not for the hypocritical presence of a few sworn enemies of the trio, gossip observed. Woldeher Yezengaw, the businessman behind Ghion Industrial; Getu Gellete of GetAs International; and Bizuayehu Tadelle of East Africa Holdings claimed central seats alongside Sabir Argaw of Al-Sam Group.

What gossip found bizarre was that, with the exception of Sabir, these businessmen had fought one another to maintain control of the Bank of Abyssinia’s board of directors.

Abebaw came up against the alliance between Bizuayehu and Getu who subsequently became at odds with each other as well, only to be seen recently on speaking terms. Most important is that arcane Abebaw felt compelled to invite particularly Getu and Woldeher, who testified against him and his partners in a criminal case that is still pending at the Federal High Court, and which involves Nile Insurance Co.

How these businessmen could be so polite to share in the happy moments of their business rivals (whom they once sought to see rotting in jail) made gossip wonder.