Letters to the editor
5th of June
Sir - What would be better than to extend the terms of the enquiry on the events of the 3rd of October (black October) as a truth and reconciliation exercise.
This would give all of us an opportunity to rise above all the politics, to put aside those red, green, yellow or blue scarves that have divide us for so long and think as Seychellois first irrespective of political beliefs, religion and so forth.
Some have accused the opposition, the victims of living in a time warp, that we cannot forget the past, well it may be true, and maybe the time has come for us the victims to move towards a healing process, to forgive SPPF and take their hands even if it’s bloodied. But again for that to happen there must be a shift in attitude towards real democracy and respect for others by the SPPF. We cannot undo the past nor are we seeking revenge as we all know retribution never heal the pain, but simple redress of all the injustices and sufferings that have gone on in the last 30 years would go a long way in uniting our nation again towards true democracy, nationhood and citizenship, a system of fairness, (no more victimisation) ..This is an opportunity for SPPF to accept humility and rid themselves of the hatred that they have breed, show remorse, admit and redress their wrongs.
Hence the seeds of healing and the path to national reconciliation will be sown......and we can look beyond 2017 for the sake of NATIONAL INTEREST…………..
Joe Victim
Fishermen's Cove Hotel on a Friday Night
Sir – It is strange but it is true - if you were to visit the Fishermens Cove Hotel bar on a Friday night or any other night certain staff strictly on the orders of management it seems will make you feel like a stranger in your own country.
Two weeks ago I went there for a drink with a friend with the expressed intention of watching Ralf Armsbury strunm his stuff. Ralf Armsbury was not there, apparently, he is currently nursing a broken arm, which he sustained whilst play fighting with his young child, that child must be one strong baby or Ralf one weak daddy.
However, our problem started when we ordered our drinks. We spoke in very clear ‘Kreol’ to the bar attendant, our young friend was having none of it. He wanted to practice his English, that, we did not mind at least he realises the advantages in speaking fluently another language. Unlike the people who banished French and English from primary education immediately after the revolution. Ironically, one of them, most recently, was rewarded by the French for her part in obstructing the fluency of the French language in
Back to Fishermans Cove Hotel - we decided that since Ralf and his band was not performing that evening we would only have one quick drink. We asked for our bar bill, another travesty, Rs152. for two drinks. On handing over two crisps hundred rupee notes the bartender asked, in English, for our identity cards. “We do not carry it around”, we told our young friend, in Kreol. “You will have to collect your change at reception”, then he informed us in his English. This was without doubt a bureaucratic nightmare of paying for only two drinks.
The above scenario is by all means not a rare occurrence; in fact there is a clear policy to make Seychellois feel unwelcome at certain hotels in the country. We believe that this policy has the full backing of the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB). This is not the first time stories of this nature have surfaced. So far the STB has failed to express an opinion, publicly, on the matter and there is no evidence to show that STB has taken up the subject with the hotels involved. With foreigners buying every inch of soil in Seychelles soon the natives will find themselves having to live on ‘Katiolos’ in the lagoons around the man-made islands. And this augurs perfectly with the concept of “For the love of
This, Sir, is currently the sad state of our little country. Thank you for the space.
Jess