FORTUNE+ VIDEO SPONSORED CONTENTS ADVERTORIALS FORTUNE AUDIO Fortune Careers TRADE AFRICA Election 2026 New TIME REMAINING UNTIL ETHIOPIA’S NATIONAL ELECTION 0Days 0Hours 0Minutes 0Seconds



"We aren't allowed to talk about your baldness."

Jul 11 , 2026

Semhal Meles, speaking on the "Tghat" podcast, criticised legislation issued by a council the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) set up after it disbanded the Interim Administration that had governed the region under the Pretoria Deal. Joining voices who called the law "draconian," Semhal went further, calling it "reminiscent of the Derg." For a movement that once presented itself as the keeper of tolerance of dissent, the accusation cuts close. She drew on her late father, Meles Zenawi's famous line made before Parliament, "You can talk about me being bald, but you can't touch it," to point out that criticism of a leader was fair game while coercion was not. Semhal argued that the new law erases that boundary, treating not only dissent but also gossiping about the leadership as an offence.


[ssba-buttons]


Editors' Pick


Editorial


Photo Gallery



Editors' Pick



Editorial