The Post Congress BluesWell, another year, another Congress. It promised to be thunder but ended up being a whimper with Big Boss taking the limelight yet again and Michel sitting close by looking bored out of his skull. This time it was all straight face and the reality of Seychelles today was, along with the reality of SPPF, masqueraded. Boss is still the smartest dressed one in the gang, but he is obviously troubled with Mr. President. One thing about Boss, he cannot hide his emotions when he is at a loss or disgruntled with someone. He usually turns red in anger. While he doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve, usually, he cannot hide it when he is fuming over madness and programmes that makes him look bad and threaten to destroy everything he has built in 40 years. As Mr. President rolls back everything accomplished over 40 years "tou nou bann aki", Boss is loosing patience. He has given 12 months to decide, that means he will do something in 6 months. So when he goes mad over a situation, you know for sure why he losses it. No need for speculation, don't blame us. We just report events and break down facts and fakes and present an image of reality. Rebuttals are always welcome.
This Congress has shown the People of Seychelles a lot. The SPPF is coming full circle, back to square one. From its humble beginnings on Gordon Square in 1964, to Coup d'etat, then running a Country for over 31 years dictated over by Boss, it is now coming to the end of the party and the beef bone soup may not help the National headache, for the era after. Boss has asked that we: "Les SPPF Trankil". Why? So that they can go on ruining Seychelles, and place Seychellois at the mercy of Arabs, South Africans, Chinese, Russians, and empty store shelves, and high fuel prices and corruption? For this is the Seychelles you leave us with after 31 years, Boss.
Having said that, I have one public question for you: " Why did you bother to show up on Gordon Square in 1964 to tell us "Seychelles is for Seychellois" if you were to only end up selling our heritage to foreigners!? In this moment of despair for us all, I appeal to you and SPPF, let's not get violent over this issue, but rather, let us have a public debate over it, that involves all our children, and citizens. In 50 years time, Rene, Mancham, Gill, Hermine, and whoever else, will not matter. So let's discuss this selling of Seychelles today. We would all cherish to hear your views on the recent tsunami of Arab and Russian investors who are afforded the red carpet treatment, while Seychellois are regulated to third class citizens in Seychelles.
In the meantime, as SPPF remains silent concerning this massive sell out of our National Heritage and they ask Seychellois to now go live in flats and start planting vegetables in discarded tyres, when you told us last year to throw the same tyres in the dump site because it brings mosquitoes, I must say, we have no intention to "Les SPPF Trankil", until it clarifies its position on the garage sale of Seychelles overnight to foreigners who do not even speak our language, do not know our culture and above all most are disrespectful to the true citizens. To start the Public debate, here are a few pointers. Be advised there are many more and many contributions come from high ranking SPPF themselves who cannot sit by and watch the sell out. They count on us as true fellow Seychellois to raise the issues, since they fear loosing their jobs, rightly. Thank you Minister.
After Beachcomber Hotel came into St. Anne, much of the remainder of that Island was transferred to Francis Savy for Rupee 1.00. This transaction has been published in the local papers a number of times last year but many people did not believe it. While St. Anne Island sits under still clouds in Seychelles, overseas, Mr. Savy has cut a nice deal for himself with IFA Resorts of UAE to sell St. Anne in an integrated development for $450 Million. IFA Resorts is no small player. It has undertaken a number of projects in the Middle East including the massive Kingdom of Sheba project and recently took over parts of fledgling Zimbali Resorts in Durban, South Africa. IFA is actively marketing St. Anne now under the name "ZILWA" with the caption “A Private Island". Since when did St. Anne become a "Private Island? Can the Leader of Opposition raise a Question in the National Assembly concerning this matter?
If Zilwa or St. Anne is to be sold off for $450 Million, don't the People of Seychelles deserve this revenue, instead of IFA Resorts and Francis Savy? Speak up SPPF, say something. Don't just sit there speechless. As we go through a severe economic crisis which SPPF cannot explain, do we not deserve to have access to our resources to see us through hard times, at a time when the Minister of Housing tells us he has deliberately "slow paced" housing development in Corgate Estate to keep up with demand? I will leave you alone SPPF when you hand back St. Anne Island to the People of Seychelles. After all, what happened to the tender procedure? Lack of tender procedure being followed can be a cloud on subsequent title.
Boss knows that and he knows what happens with projects that take that route. Eventually investors loose everything. With a swing vote of 2700 in the last Election that SPPF barely scrapped after throwing Rupees175 Million to fool voters, I would be a concerned investor if I was IFA Resorts. Those swing votes have already tossed their umbrellas in the bin on June 5th, in spite of being paid to dance boogy and shake- ass- in- the- streets- of- Victoria for 2 minutes.
I might add SPPF, if you can shake your ass in town, I don't see why we can't write about it, unless you abandon democratic rights and declare a State of Emergency...never too late for that option. We will react accordingly.
A few weeks ago about 10 SPPF were ushered into a pitched white tent at Anse La Mouche to witness the laying of a foundation stone for a resort to be built by the Qatar Royal Family company worth $ 400 Million. The Qatar developers brought their own chairs and SPPF, about 10 in all, were offered seats under the tent. While this project is dubbed a resort, it is very likely a royal family vacation spot. The irony is that while SPPF assist with their presence in laying the foundation stone at this project, in the commercial break on SBC, they tell our children to go plant bananas in their school uniforms and dig up “gro manze” to survive and be proud.
Rene told SPPF to put People first at the center of development; Michel seems to have been putting Arab people first. What about the People of Seychelles SPPF? Answer this question and we may leave you alone. While you fast track the Qatar Royal Family, you slow track Corgate Estate residents and say one flat block unit takes 1 year to build. You cannot be serious, SPPF! Even with a minimal crew to 6 men, it would not take more then 6 months, turn key, per flat-block of 4 units.
Emirates have unilaterally announced a number of water bungalows to be constructed at Cap Ternay. On the other hand, Planning under SPPF squeezes Seychellois with their little projects. Why the double standard SPPF? SPPF tells Seychellois you can only build 25 metres from the high water mark but tells Arabs, you can build in the water. Is it perhaps that in eliminating class structure in Seychelles, you have made all Seychellois Third Class Citizens in their own Country? Answer this question SPPF and we may leave you alone.
While all these and other foreign owned projects set in Seychelles, Seychellois have to face a surge in the price of goods needed to survive that does not make sense under SPPF. Even SPPF Hotel in Port Glaud is being built by a foreign contractor who never did even one project in Seychelles. Why SPPF? What happen to "Seychelles for Seychellois"? Even truck drivers are out of work. Are you now a globally thinking communist party acting locally? Why are your Branch offices empty with only sweepers? All the while, you say it is for everyone, but inside we see only SPUP flags? Are you people living in the real World or what?
While the World goes through an increase in the cost of goods, in our region it is not as bad as SPPF makes it to be. They fail to explain why in Seychelles goods are so exorbitant in price. In South Africa, one of our main trading partners, 30 large eggs cost Rand 21.00 or Rupees 12.00. In Seychelles, 30 eggs have reached Rupees 60.00. 750 gram packs of Corn Flakes Kellogg's cost Rand 19.00 or Rupees 9.50. In Seychelles, same box cost Rupees 72.00. Minute Maid Juice per litre cost Rand 6.89 or Rupees 1.95. Here it actually cost Rupees 58.68. Why SPPF? Basmati Rice cost Rand 39.80 for 5 kg. or Rupees 19.90. Here it actually cost 84.50 for 5 Kg of rice. Why SPPF? Jumbo Pampers for baby cost Rand 149.59 or Rupees 74.95. Here, it actually cost Rupees 385.00. Why SPPF, tell us why? The list is endless, but the answer is not. In South Africa 2 litre of Coke cost Rand 10.00 about Rupees 5.00.
Why does it not cost that much here since it is made here? Speak up SPPF tell the People the Truth. Don't just sit there with that dumb look on your face. Say something SPPF!
Seychellois, while SPPF blames external factors, for the increase in cost of goods, ask them what they can do here in Seychelles to reduce the cost of goods. Do not let SPPF fool you. Lepok Bully Beef in fini partou dan le monn, but in Seychelles it cost Rupees30.00 a tin while outside in our region it cost about Rupees 4.00. Open your eyes Seychellois. SPPF are trying to fool us. Say something, anything, SPPF.
As the price of oil hit $140.00 this week, it did so for the whole World, not just Seychelles. Many Countries will suffer economic slowdown, but they will get on. But in Seychelles, we are in real trouble. SPPF's economic policies never envisioned a situation wherein the price of oil could get this high. Rene and Michel whether or not they are happy with each other today, never collectively in 31 years, envisioned the situation we face today. Their collective brain power failed all of Seychelles. Because of that short sightedness which has now resulted in sheer desperation, they lured investors into Seychelles, and gave them 100% full Retention of their earnings in the hope of encouraging Foreign Direct Investments (FDI). Now as FDI make money and get rich off the Seychelles product, they keep their money, and SPPF does not have enough hard currency to purchase fuel with to meet the new increased demand surge which can reach $125 Million this year if the price of fuel continues to escalate, which it will. While Danny Faure says he has to borrow money to pay fuel bills, millions of Euros sit in Retention Accounts SPPF created all by themselves.
We can stop pestering you over this SPPF when you abolish all Retention Schemes and treat all investors alike and not short change Seychellois who, if you don't stop harassing will soon start moving to Mauritius, where its a bit ugly, but polite indeed, and the whole region is rushing to Mauritius at the moment. Farmers in Seychelles can go to Mozambique today and ask Government there for 100 hectares of land for Rupees 1.00 and be granted 55 year lease to plant as much as they want. Labour is in abundance and they will earn hard currency and keep it. Great soil for a banana plantation for those interested in that area. Snap out of your dream SPPF.
SPPF has also sold drilling rights over the Coevity Banks for oil. Now the owner of the rights says it is too expensive to drill right now since the price of oil on the international market has made fuel prices skyrocket. SPPF, with all your collective genius of your Congress, can you not draft a contract properly with adequate time performance terms and termination provisions that are effective. Since you have sold off oil drilling rights, all you have left is our Airspace over the Coetivy banks.
Now you will sell that too, and Air Seychelles will have to ask Siva permission to fly over Coetivy to get us to Mauritius to do some desperate shopping.
If you cannot do it on your own SPPF ask for help. Form a Government of Reconstruction to rebuild everything you have destroyed. Better still, just don't show up at the next Elections in 12 months time if Boss is really unhappy with the situation.