Letters to the Editor

‘When you live in a glass house’

Dear Mr. Editor,

Please allow me a few lines to comment on the article ‘When you live in a glass house’ that appeared in The People newspaper recently.

What a few people don’t know is that the lady in the opera mentioned in the article is well known in the gambling circles as ‘la joker in arive!’  Besides being regarded as an pathological liar, she’s also known as the vampire of darkness who roams the gambling joints till they close at 3 or 4 ‘o’clock in the morning, something that decent ladies don’t do anywhere in the world.  ‘Leave that for the men, so they say!’

Had the woman with foul  body odour– ‘loder kelkel’, not been such a frequent night roamer rubbing shoulders with all types of men, she wouldn’t have had the just and deserved telling off – considering the law of probability when you come to think of it! One player at Berjaya the other day nearly slapped her for making her usual fabricated statements.  Everybody knows she’s in with SPPF just for protection.  She considers political affiliation the same as taking a hedging gambling bet.

Those who were present will confirm that there were no political arguments or discussions going on at that particular corner of Victoria Casino that evening apart from a one-line-remark made by one gentlemen standing next to the poker table.  The lady in the opera must have suffered from some sort of phobia after she had heard a name mentioned in the 9-word sentence that is associated with the authorities responsible for the approval of her husband contract just recently.  The same lady was overheard a while ago saying that if her husband’s contract was not sanctioned by the local authorities that same mentioned person in question including one ambassador would have got spoonfuls of ‘salte’ from her.  The honourable guy she described as a gambling maniac, who sleeps during working hours and has domestic problems for spending more time at casinos than at home.  She was also overheard saying that she was going to cross the floor if that contract was not sanctioned.

Those few who would feel uncomfortable by people’s remarks on persons in the higher circles would expediently keep their mouth shut if Seychelles is not to be dragged back into the dark days of Marxist communism where only psychophants live and enjoy, and those who dare speak their minds are chased into exile and made to disappear from the surface of this earth.  One wonders whether people like that go to church let alone accept the values of democracy where one is entitled to his or her opinion just like the people  that respect her roaming about till the early hours of the morning practically on a 7-day-a-week basis.

‘Ler ou frekant lisyen ou bezwen ganny pis” and also “when you live in a glass house don’t throw stones!”

Thank you

Kam. F. M

“Mayor pou touzour”

Dear Editor,

The news on last night’s television was once again filled with the arrogance of President James Michel and his under the counter puppeteer, Albert Rene. As a Seychellois that has lived abroad for many years in a number of countries I am very conversant with the traditions and mode of appointing a mayor of a City, particularly, the most important city in a Country.

The Mayor of New York is elected by a ballot of the citizens of the City, The Mayor of Brisbane in Australia and every other City is elected by the community in the Districts around the city, The UK is the same, so too is Russia and every other State you can care to name, with the possible exception of Cuba and Seychelles as far as democracies go.

The last Mayor was ostensibly elected for life” but has chosen to retire, thankfully because he was never really elected by the community at large. There is no legislation in Seychelles governing the election of Mayor by District Councils as there is in other Cities. The elected Members at the time of the districts took it upon themselves to sit and choose the mayor for the rest of us, with the puppeteer again in the background... You may wonder what has now changed.

The opposition has won the important seats surrounding Victoria and therefore they would have a significant if not decisive say if past practice, which incidentally is written down in the “Terms of reference” for the selection of the Mayor. This time around given the strength of the opposition support in the surrounding Districts, even this limited semblance of democracy has been done away with and the puppet has selected his dummy while the puppeteer pulls the strings. Lets us all hope and pray that it is again not a “life time job”. And maybe one day we will get to choice who we the people want as our Mayor!

NAME WITHHELD

What a lot of hog wash

Dear Editor - Allow me a few lines to comment on the SPPF and its People rag bag that never ceases to amaze me week after week with the absolute drivel that drips forth from the so called editorial staff of this rag bag. In the column “the other side” dated the 2nd August 2007, the trashy paper tries desperately to defend the indefensible. The SNP had applied as is required for permission to hold a small gathering at Beau Vallon Beach. The Police, who incidentally should not be the arbiters in such matters as their complicity with SPPF at the highest level, are always manifest I find, denied permission.

Mind you I must point out that contrary to popular belief (based on SPPF propaganda), and the ardent misinformation of the SPPF political gatherings across Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the United States, the SNP  does not require consent of police and are constitutionally guaranteed provided they are peaceful and not a hindrance to the enjoyment of the area by others.

Even outside shopping centres and town centres are allowable venues. The reason given by the police is that there is tourism development in the area. What a lot of hog wash (worse than Harry Potter), tourism development and the potential for tourists to see what is happening are possible anywhere in small Seychelles. Tourists are no strangers to political activities these take place right across the world. What then is SPPF afraid of? They are deathly afraid that the more rallies, the more opportunity to strengthen the opposition’s stronghold in the Districts they held onto at the last election. They are afraid that more will join the opposition. They are afraid that the tourists will see that despite all their efforts to lie to the outsiders that there is indeed a deep political divide in Seychelles as a result of the mismanagement by the SPPF for decades and that despite the veneer that SPPF presents to them this country is in need of healing and justice for all - This is the real “State of the other side” that the SPPF wishes to conceal to the world.

I understand from SPPF propaganda that there will be another 60 hotels coming up. I ask you then in all honesty, where will the opposition hold public rallies with no tourist’s establishments in the vicinity? When the tourists come to town during the wild rallies of drunkenness by the SPPF doesn’t the SPPF see that this is the very inappropriate image that the tourists should not see. Better to see a nice peaceful rally and beach gathering than a crowd of rowdy, red shirts, reminiscent to the tourist of the communists they threw out years ago, drunk and disorderly on the roads and the streets with their children in tow. They have absulutely no shame.

An Independent Observer

Fuel prices stabilised a long time ago

Sir - Week after a week we see the never ending hike in the price of essential commodities in Seychelles. For a long time the SPPF blamed the price rises, when they were forced to admit them on the transport costs of rising fuel prices. Fuel prices stabilised a long time ago now, but the prices of essential goods, when we have no shortages continue to rise. The quality especially of onions at SMB continues to go down. Much of the shelving is now empty especially vegetables.. Why not do the just thing and return the shop to its real owner?

Coming back to the prices, SPPF set up NATCOF many years ago, staffed of course with SPPF stalwarts, to make us believe that we have an organisation capable and willing to defend our rights. Let me tell you all, nothing was further from the truth. It was set up so that no pressure could be put on SMB or other SPPF sympathiser shops to fall in line with price control, warranties and suitability and or of goods whereas others would be hounded to fall in line or be put out of business. Mind you NATCOF would not do this. It would be done through the Attorney General’s Office with complicity of the Trades Tax Division. Why not NATCOF one may ask. Simply because NATCOF is simply a front office another façade to make people believe they had consumer protection at heart.

In truth there is no consumer protection legislation and NATCOF has no real teeth. It does not even have the legislation necessary to establish it as an official Government mandated or legislated organisation. Ask any non-SPPF lawyer with a good copy of the laws of Seychelles to find the legislation establishing NATCOF and giving it investigative powers or powers of enforcement and prosecution or confiscation for that matter. They simply do not exist.

I challenge the SPPF run of the mill supporter ask your MNA about whether NATCOF legislation exists? Ask him why there is no legislation. Ask him why SMB can act outside of the price control mechanisms.  See if he or she can look you in the eyes when they tell you the answers.

A Straight Talker

Mayadas Cow’s Milk Graphs and Passport

Mr. Editor Sir,

 I am writing to commend you on the fine work your Paper is doing to bring to light the effort of the SPPF to take us for fools through the use of a certain Management staff at the SMB. I enjoyed your article on Mr. Mayadas, an imported SMB Manager who has become a Seychellois, while working here in a nice cozy job, while our people have to work in empty Warehouse No.9. Mayadas professed to love Seychelles, but if you love Seychelles, you do not present graphs and charts to the public and not give the real truth behind the sudden surge in the price of milk. Milk is expensive because Mayadas and SPPF have made our currency valueless. This is the Truth.

Mayadas has been economical with the truth to all Seychellois public even residents of Point Larue, where milk is packed. The Seychellois people must put the likes of Mayadas on contract here, who have the nerve to take us Seychellois for fools, that when you lie for the SPPF, and deceive the Public we will not take it. The day will come, when we will remind you of what you have done to our people in the interest of protecting your own skin and fattening yourselves at our expense, while Real Seychellois suffer.

 A message to Mr. Mayadas and people like him: SPPF can give you a Passport as a reward for covering up their scams at SMB, like importing Castle Beer as plastic pipes. Take your milk graphs somewhere else and try to fool some other people about the increase in the price of Milk. You have not fooled us.

 Thank you Mr. Editor!

(A Weekly reader)

“Jj –OU swa en pep”

Dear Sir - I note with interest your favourable comments as a representative of the situation of our so called “free trade unions” inSeychelles. Sir may I suggest before you pass such glowing judgements that you look at the legislation governing the establishment of trade unions in Seychelles and you will no doubt see the situations is far from “free”. A trade Union requires government consent to be established contrary to internationally acceptable norms and standards. Further you may well have asked Mr O. Charles whether he was elected to the Seychelles Federation of Workers Union (SWFU) and whether it is indeed representative of the majority of workers, especially government and transport workers in Seychelles who still have no adequate union representation.

NAME WITHHELD

FOREIGN EXCHANGE ON THE DEM (R) ISE

SIR, I am not one given to writing to newspapers so it is with some disquiet that I feel the necessity to write a short comment on the article in the People dated 2nd August 2007 informing us that the level of Foreign exchange in the country has increased. As one working directly in the system, I cannot only say with a sense of bewilderment that I am shell shocked that ‘The People’ can so easily come up with such a trashy piece of journalism aimed at hoodwinking the general public who have little access to real government financial statistics. The truth could never be further than that the article suggests. Seychelles is deeply in arrears with all it obligations as far as external debt repayment goes. We took a large bonded loan (200 million dollars) we need to repay back in less than 4 years now at significantly higher interest so as to consolidate our overall debt situation. We borrowed from Peter to pay Paul, at a higher price of course.

The Chinese and to an extent the Indian government and banks have agreed to assist us, but at significant costs in terms of our sovereignty, and our ownership of significant pieces of our land and of course our support where they push the level of immorality to a baser level especially as regards to abuse of human rights and Christian church organisations in China. Our multilateral debt has sky rocketed and we have had to look to the ADB to try to dig us out of the hole for a limited period.

‘The People’ talk of a black market mutiny, I know you are by now laughing because we all know black markets only exist where the system of forex is not working and that personnel within government are taking up most of the forex cake for themselves. We also all know that much of the currency exchange now happens in the so called black market. Even Ministers are not averse to looking outside the banking system for a little forex some of whom have been burned. Presidently of course does not need to.

How about doing a little internet research on the South Africa Truth Commission hearings and the Seychelles. Surprisingly you will find that a deal was struck between almost Retired and the SA intelligence Services not to hang the mercenaries for a tidy sum of US$20 million. Of course treasury never saw the money. Billions over the years has been taken from the people. Why not do the right thing by returning the more than a billion dollars they have starched away in foreign bank account into the local banking system that has been milked from the people over the many years…

HEAVEN SEES AND KNOWS ALL

AN OPEN LETTER TO DR MBAN KABU ICFU-AFRO

Dear Sir - I note with interest your favourable comments as a representative of the situation of our so called “free trade unions” in Seychelles. Sir may I suggest before you pass such glowing judgements that you look at the legislation governing the establishment of trade unions in Seychelles and you will no doubt see the situations is far from “free”. A trade Union requires government consent to be established contrary to internationally acceptable norms and standards. Further you may well have asked Mr O. Charles whether he was elected to the Seychelles Federation of Workers Union (SWFU) and whether it is indeed representative of the majority of workers, especially government and transport workers in Seychelles who still have no adequate union representation.

NAME WITHHELD

Using the environment to stop access to our islands

SIR, the alleged illegal hotel on Farquhar and other goings on - on other islands managed by IDC become even more interesting when one understands how they safeguards and controls IDC putting in place system to stop ordinary people and even professionals from getting onto these islands. As a former employee of one of the concerned organizations I know that Mr. Savy has formed an environmental organization which allegedly is the only one allowed to do environmental research conservation and other related work on islands such as Farquhar, Assumption, Cosmoledo, Desroches, Alphonse and the other 75 islands managed by IDC. I have heard conversations that prove that they have deliberately and aggressively stopped some well known Seychellois environmentalists and local organizations from doing work on these islands. This organization the Island Conservation Society has as its members friends and business associates of Mr. Savy. Why?? Perhaps so as to ensure that only a small circle of people are allowed to see what is going on in all these secretive operations. It is a shame that they are using a private environmental organization to stop access to islands that belong to the Republic of Seychelles and therefore all Seychellois. Shame on you, Mr. Savy and Shame on your friends who pretend to be environmentalists. !

 J. B,

Beau Vallon, Mahe,Seychelles

LIES UPON LIES UNCOVERED BY SPPF

Dear Editor - Kindly allow me a little space in your esteemed newspaper to comment on the previous editions of the People rag bag as it discussed the now infamous events of October 3. The SPPF in the People on many occasions and in many news items on TV and in the National Assembly went to great lengths to suggest that the Assembly at the national Library on the 3rd October was a disorderly one with sometimes hundreds and sometimes thousands of people acting disorderly.

The People Rag bag of July 26, 2007, this week carries a portrait taken at the time on its front pages. The regular Police are observed near by in uniform, quite calmly seeing the SNP leadership speaking very plainly and in a very non aggressive stance to less than a hundred people gathered attentively to hear what was being said. Not a hint of aggression, not a hint of violence, not a hint of disorder.

I do pray that they made this photo available to the honourable Justice Rilley in his investigation. I think it is significant that their own photos prove once and for all the lies upon lies that the SPPF stooped to, in fabricating a reason to perpetrate violence upon a peaceful Seychellois population. The same violence Albert Rene and James Michel was famous for with fires, bombing and the ultimate theft of a nation, its people and its assets.

An Independent observer

Pri Lavi In mont Pli O Ki ‘Tsunami’

Ser Editer,

Permet mwan en pti kwen dan ou zournal pou exprim mwan konsern lo nou pri lavi ki nou pe vwar pe de zour an zour kontinyen ogmante.

Tou dernyernman noun trouv en logmantasyon lo pri serten komodite tel ki dile an poud, savon lave masin, fromaz, pistas eksetera…..

Malgre sa in leka pandan plizyer zour nou pann trouv person sorti swa kot lasosiasyon konsomater ,departman pri kontrol oubyen responsab gouvernman pou vinn donn nou en lesplikasyon lo sa size. Ni menm SBC ou zournal Nasyon pa vwar sa koman en konsern e fer fason pou fer lepep vwar kwa kinn arrive pou sa sitiasyon vinn leka.

Eski nou rapel byen enpe letan pase ki manyer SBC ti raport lensidan ler pri kontrol ti pran aksyon kont Temooljee, P&J, Continental store etc pou sa bann menm sitiasyon kot zot tinn eksid pri serten komodite? Eski sa bann menm aksyon pa kapab vinn aplikab pou SMB osi ek lezot gro marsan ki pe kontinyelman fer malere soufer?.

Deplis apard ki bann komodite ser, i osi annan serten bann komodite ki pe expire ki osi ganny vann kot serten supermarket  ki ziska ozordi ni  menm lasosiasyon dwa konsomater oubyen minister lasante pa fer okenn komanter lola.

Eski sa I byen ?

Eski Sanmenm ki nou apel ansanm pou lanmour sesel?

S Jules

August 10, 2007
Copyright 2007: Seychelles Weekly, Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles