Captain Guta Dinka. (Photograph courtesy Ethiopian Heritage Society in North America)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Thursday, July 10th, 2014
Washington, D.C. (TADIAS) — They thought they were giving Captain Guta Dinka an offer he can’t refuse (lots of cash – more than he’s ever seen) to kill Nelson Mandela. He was then 27-years-old and one of two Ethiopian soldiers assigned to guard the legendary future leader of South Africa during his brief stay for military training in Ethiopia in 1962. Instead Captain Guta marched straight to the house of his superior, General Tadesse Birru, and exposed the assassination plot that would have changed the course of history. And thanks to him the world is much better off for it.
Captain Guta, 78, will be speaking at the opening of the 4th Annual Ethiopian Heritage Festival on Friday July 25th at Silver Spring Civic Building in Silver Spring, Maryland. The three-day event organized by the Ethiopian Heritage Society in North America will be held from July 25th to 27th, the last two days dedicated to outdoor activities on the campus of Georgetown University. According to organizers, the opening night will also feature an art exhibit by Ezra Wube from New York, which includes an animation display. In addition, Naome Marie, MIT freshman from San Jose, California, will be speaking on what “Ethiopian heritage” means to him as an Ethiopian American. Naome who was accepted to several Ivy League schools before deciding to attend MIT will also be honored at the event. Obang Metho is the keynote speaker.
Learn more about the event at ehsna.org/heritage-festival.
Video: Captain Guta Dinka, The Man Who Saved Mandela
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