SUPERSAVE GUILTY OF OVERPRICING
Where is the price control Gestapo when you need them? This week Supersave went over the top with their prices yet again and lo and behold, not a single price control officer in sight. A packet of cheddar cheese was retailing at Rs.32, a cauliflower at Rs.105, and lettuce at R.48. This must be the most expensive packet of cheese, lettuce and cauliflower in the world! The same cheese was selling at Rs.13 in the Indian shop down the road and lettuce at R.10 from the market. One hapless shopper even remarked that nowadays you have to get a bank loan to shop at SuperSave! The absence of price control officers in that particular supermarket in a week when they were unusually active and visible in the streets of Victoria, paying as much as three visits in one day to one particular shop has also given credence to the argument that the price control office is but a political tool set up to harass and persecute merchants and business people who are suspected of not being sympathetic to the SPPF. It is also to be noted that in a blatant act of arrogance and discrimination the SPPF passed a law exempting the SMB from the application of the price control legislation. The strategy now is to turn a blind eye to supermarkets like SuperSave and SMB and to target smaller fish that can ill-afford to protect themselves from the all powerful and controversial price control officers who take their orders straight from State House.
It is this kind of attitude and arbitrary practices that has kept the frustration and exasperation of many merchants smoldering and as long as the government continues to blatantly practice discrimination and arrogance in the application of certain laws, it is inevitable that the people will one day take their fights to the streets of Victoria to vent their anger and frustration at a government who deliberately stifle the will of the people. Despite the re-introduction of multi-party politics in late 1992, the SPPF government has continued with their one party state mentality of suppressing people, destroying the very livelihood of those whom they deem against them and attacking the very fabric of our society which binds the cohesiveness of our small nation, by their blatant acts of political harassment, discrimination and persecution.
The opposition has been nothing but exemplary in their actions and behaviour vis-a-vis the government and the SPPF in particular. In the face of extreme provocation, insults and abusive acts of repression, the opposition has chosen to participate fully in the democratizing process rather than have recourse to violence and criminality to achieve their political objective. However, it is unfortunate that the government has never acknowledged the positive role played by the opposition to maintain our fragile political stability which has helped to encourage investors to come to our shores to invest millions of dollars in the tourism and fisheries industries. This is in sharp contrast to Rene and the SPUP who not only advocated and threatened violence to achieve their political objective pre-1977, but also actively perpetuated violence by planting bombs at Reef Hotel and Adam Moosa and indiscriminately putting fires in Praslin around the Vallee de Mai and generally all around Mahe.
During those days they dubbed themselves “Freedom Fighters” and modeled themselves on left wing guerrilla movements active in Latin and South America, and obsessed with the revolutionary teachings and rhetoric of Lenin, Kim Il Sung, and Chairman Mao, all active proponents of the communist world. Despite President James Mancham’s benevolence and political vision in appointing Albert Rene as his Prime Minister in a coalition government, Rene had no qualms or hesitation in overthrowing Mancham and appointing himself as President of the Republic against the will of the majority of the people. The reign of terror then followed with many innocent Seychellois being thrown en masse in jails without trial. Some were forcibly deported, invariably killed and their property confiscated without any or adequate compensation. Whilst Rene and his clique enjoyed the trappings of their new found wealth and power, many families were dubbed “enemies of the people” and endured a life of hardship, misery and punishment. This explains, therefore, why the SPPF will stop at nothing and do whatever it takes to win all elections in Seychelles. The threat and fear of recrimination, revenge and retribution is a genuine concern for the SPPF leadership. This is why, therefore, the SPPF believes that it is imperative for them to win all elections at all cost; not because they love us and want to help and serve us but because they have to protect their own skin! Lest their evil deeds come back to haunt them.
(Contributed
