From the frying pan...

By Jean-Mée Desveaux
Le défi quotidien of 7th November 2024

There exists, at this juncture in Mauritius, a window of opportunity that calls for a tactical move at the national level in search of a new political leadership. That is the only way to return Mauritius back to the place it had hitherto held economically and in matters of good governance among other developing states. If we allow this opportunity to close on us because of faintheartedness we will go down in history as the supine generation which allowed the Navin C. Ramgoolam and the Pravind K Jugnauth clans to bleed the country and its suffering people to their heart’s content.

We didn’t need the Mo Ibrahim Foundation Index to tell us that “Mauritius overall governance” score had deteriorated at an accelerated pace over the last two mandates of the MSM. The period of such decline coincides so fittingly in time and space that, had the analysis not been carried out by such a reputable international body, one might have been tempted to suspect it was a political shot aimed at unravelling the decade of misrule during which the MSM held power in Mauritius (2014-2024). But for us who have lived that decade, it is not confined to a mere statistical statement. We have lived such a period intensely in the deepest recesses of our fears and anxiety about the future of our society and children.

We have, over the years since independence, seen and taken stock of such a myriad of political tricks: lies, treachery, bullying of opponents, swapping of allegiances for financial rewards etc. that we thought we had seen it all. But it took the anarchy and misrule under Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth to reach the rock bottom of the political abyss when people are cold-bloodedly murdered for political reasons. Welcome to South America! 

The present Prime minister, very early in the piece, before any serious investigation was carried out, without any hesitation, declared ex cathedra that one of his ministers, the main suspect in the murder of Mr ‘Kaya’ Kistnen, chief political agent in his electorate, is absolutely innocent of the crime that he is suspected to have had a direct role in. The police agreed and chose instead to track the Minister’s brother who was a political adversary. Without the shadow of a doubt, members of the police force declared in a chorus that they were confronted with an obvious case of death by suicide. It was the professionalism of a fearless young magistrate which debunked this tissue of lies to reveal that we were confronted with a case of homicide. The whole MSM party, which has never been a shining example of probity, is now guilty by association of that political murder. The country’s admiration should unequivocally go to the right Honourable Nando Boda who was the only politician who had the kudos to dump his ministerial position on the account of that murder which he was loathe to associate himself with. His resignation from all the instances of the MSM deserves our vote for such bravery and moral example which no one else in the that party endeavoured to emulate.

The sundry affairs revealed at present under the title of “Mr Moustache Leaks” are as varied and shocking as one can expect from the rule of a mafiosi government. Each leak has its particular flavour and contour. However, by far, the most frightening item revealed so far harks back to the theme of the above hushed-up homicide case, when we hear a voice attributed to the Commissioner of Police giving a verbal instruction to Doctor Gungadin, a well-known name among our “Médecins légistes”, in charge of the post mortem, not to examine the victim’s private parts where he received a mortal blow from the police. The subdued acquiescence of the voice attributed to the doctor at that peremptory order of the voice that sounds like that of the Police Commissioner to find a “natural cause” should give a shudder along the spine of the 1.3 million Mauritians. Is that the pits that our moral and legal infrastructure has fallen into in this country?!

We can’t leave this topic without mentioning the fact that Mauritius has, as far as several of its Police commissioners are concerned, deserved the status of a depraved state. The last three Commissioners or so showed us without the shadow of a doubt that the police force is under a kind of spell, an osmosis, whereby the worst elements float to the surface. The numerous occasions whereby the present incumbent was on the wrong side of the law or of sheer decency are too numerous to relate here. His proximity with the ruling clique seems to be based on another quid pro quo : “you scratch my back, I scratch yours”. When it’s not his son who commits serious financial fraud only to receive a presidential pardon under pressure from his Daddy, it’s the Daddy himself whose foul mouth doesn’t even respect the most sacred religious entities under the firmament. Quite consistent with such an osmotic process, when a policeman shows thorough honesty and fearless pursuit of the worst criminals in Mauritius, as did the Chief Inspector Hector Tuyau, a glass ceiling is put above his head to keep him down so that he never reaches a position where he can purge the force of the rotten elements that are at the beck and call of corrupt politicians when it’s not drug lords, themselves, who receive unencumbered visas and passports.

Is there any need to remind the reader that PKJ, who has ruled over such state of affairs, has also systematically demolished the whole fragile structure of the national wage and salary system in his indefatigable attempt to bribe our million voters to go against their better judgement to kick him out of office in a majestic BLD. 

His moral and political association with and support for India’s PM Modi and its Islamophobic, mosque-destroying BJP whose philosophy he seems to have no compunction in supporting, stands as a serious menace in a multicultural Mauritius where 20% of our compatriots would take umbrage at such affiliation. Still in the realm of foreign policy he has succeeded not only in sacrificing our sovereignty over Agalega which every serious Indian newspaper recognises as an Indian Military base on the basis of a shameful secret deal between the Indian super power and its servile micro neighbour. In this instance there was a quid pro quo in the form of a lovely and quite successful Light Rail Transit which had remained a dream thus far.

Mauritius has become a State that offers its sovereignty over our inalienable territory for sale to the highest bidder. Thus, the lengthy legal battle that compelled the two big anglo-saxon super powers to recognise our sovereignty over the Chagos Islands through the highest international court of Justice, was squandered for 99 years (renewable) to the USA as a base from which to bomb Iran and the middle east back to the rock age and torture their prisoners to their hearts’ content without infringing any of their own countries’ most respected statutes. This BLOOD MONEY makes every murderous American adventure in the region as a blot on the conscience of each and every Mauritian citizen. The quid pro quo this time is a yearly rent to be paid by the Americans via the British ex colonial power to the Mauritian treasury. Morality does not fill a hungry Mauritian belly. This paradigm from the founder of the MSM party will resonate through the ages to haunt us. 

Mr Pravind K Jugnauth’s latest pernicious political mores was to unashamedly bribe every man and his dog to vote for him. In an endeavour to corrupt the electorate to support him at the next election, he has wreaked havoc on our Basic Retirement pension system, and turned the national debt from the vicinity of 60%+ of the national GDP when the MSM came to power to nearly hugging the fateful 100% level now. The sheer waste of national resources in the opportunity cost involved in repaying the huge interest on such a level of debt should preclude him from ever regaining power over this nation.

The kind reader who has patiently followed us so far must wonder where this reasoning will lead us to. Let me hasten to reassure him that I am not inviting him to jump from the frying pan into the fire! The Latin languages rendering of this saying is to escape from Charybdis to fall into Scylla, both being monsters facing each other on the coasts of Italy and Sicily respectively. That analogy is quite fitting when we speak of the two political monsters that the country is mesmerised to choose from during the next election.

Mr Navin Chandra Ramgoolam, the twice disavowed (2014&2019) leader of the Labour party, is like an over-ripe fruit that is just about to crash to the ground. It is blatantly obvious that the elections NCR has twice lost in electorates he hand-picked for himself are directly caused by his unique blend of: incompetence, indolence, […] irresponsibility in matters of national importance and a lewdness that was pervasive throughout his 14 years in power. No politician is expected to be a saint. But not only has Navin C. Ramgoolam unashamedly and repeatedly humiliated a lady with an uncommon blend of stoicism and dignity in front of the nation, but to boost, he had invented his own “cuisine” before the phrase was coined for Pravin K Jugnauth. To have access to the PM during his prime ministership, the visitor needed to obtain the acquiescence of his favourite who would put a word in the PM’s ears on his/her behalf.

His return to power in 2005 is a lesson that we should never forget. After 5 years in the sin bin of opposition, he had not undergone an iota of change to reform his undisciplined self. Between 2005 to 2014 he gave the nation ample reasons to be thoroughly ashamed of the depravity and debauchery that he dragged us and the country into. He does not have the wisdom of someone who learns from his past mistakes. In fact, he gives all the signs that he is incapable of changing for the better.

Politically, not only has the Labour Party lost these last two elections in quick succession under his (mis)rule, but his personal popularity had fallen so low that, until the last minute, in both cases, he was repeatedly unable to choose an electorate which would turn a blind eye to his abysmal record. The enlightenment of these two electorates, mainly the intelligent people of Triolet who have been a model for the rest of the county, needs to be acknowledged and praised. It is to the incorruptible electorate of Triolet that all Mauritians are once more turning their eyes to in the hope that our country returns to normalcy. Triolet must not vote for Navin again. It will earn the nation’s eternal gratitude in doing such a favour to country.

More than anything though, it is the 2014 post electoral days that showed his nadir when Rs 220 millions were found to be lying unexplained in his personal coffers. Any attempt at explaining that the money had been earmarked for use to build the party’s HQ turned out to be contradicted by the secretary of the party. His explanation then took the form of his “per diem” (the extra money officers get to live on when they are on duty in foreign countries). That was obviously another gross exaggeration that didn’t tally up. After so many years Navin has not even deigned to tell the country what he would do with that treasure if, against all probability it is returned to him. Around the end of the last decade, documents the MCB declared genuine showed indubitably that he had squandered millions from the party accounts for his own personal gratification. Adding insult to injury, his paramour is living like a princess in Italy with the fortune she absconded with on the day following the election. In the meantime, tens of thousands of Mauritians are still parked like cattle in longères 30 years after their ramshackle shelters were blown away by a cyclone.

Not even in the heart of Africa has a political leader with such an abysmal record been allowed to contemplate returning to power. Each one of this plethora of misdemeanours should constantly stand as a memento used by patriots to plague him back and boot him out of the political arena for good. We must not fall into the illusion that is created by his lackeys that he is innocent since legal technicalities and other esoteric niceties have got him so far off the hook of spending several well deserved years in jail as would have happened in any self-respecting country. Those who follow him today are hangers on, nonentities, like the President of the LP, who live off the mirage of a political power NCR promises to retrieve soon. 

It must be recognised nationally that with such a track record, Navin’s posture as the next PM is one of the greatest motivation for the one million electors to be sorely tempted to vote again for PKJ. That Navin has ignored this risk to the future well-being of the country is another proof of the self-centredness and egocentricity of someone who has still not attained the status of a true Statesman. He never will. 

The sense of entitlement of Navin C. Ramgoolam has no limit. He had the privilege and prerogative to be at the helm of the county in spite of the numerous instances he gave the nation that he is far from being qualified for such a lofty role. The ease with which he declared himself as irreplaceable at the top of the Labour Party to the exclusion of any other is based unequivocally on the fact that he is the son of the Father of the nation, SSR. Should we not ask ourselves whether a real patriot like SSR would have voted for such an “enfant prodigue” as Navin! Would he have entrusted the nation that he painstakingly built through thick and thin to smear both his family reputation and the fate of Mauritius? 

In spite of all this no one in the Labour rank has yet had the fearless mettle and audacity to challenge him even though he has been banished from entering parliament for such a lengthy period. It must be acknowledged that Navin has not hesitated to use the brute force of his hangers on to scare anyone from challenging him. 

What is there to be done therefore? Making abstraction of their leaders for a minute, the MSM Party is guilty by association with the Moka politically motivated homicide. The Labour Party does not have such a blot on its record. I dare dream of the people of Mauritius voting for Labour to regain power with the decisive fate of Navin Ramgoolam left to the able hands of the Triolet electorate to courageously reject again. It has been done twice before but that was not enough for the message to get through. Let us do it a last time and rid ourselves of the leeches that feed off the country’s blood. 

Due to Labour’s weight on the electoral list vis a vis the MMM, no labourite needs to fear that the fall of Navin will automatically promote Paul R Bérenger as PM. Paul has decimated his party which is now a mere spectre of what it used to be. A sizeable number of his former able members are now in the clutch of the MSM and are de facto guilty by association with at least one political crime on their conscience and C.V. A defeated MSM being beaten by a leaderless victorious Labour party in power with the support of the MMM could well be our answer. The parliamentary labour party would meet to vote for a new leader after a period of reflexion and the country would once more be able to breather freely in the model of a proper Westminsterian parliament. May be I am a dreamer but I sincerely hope I am not the only one. I pray that this vision may be shared by the many concerned patriots who have decided not to be forced to choose between the plague and Cholera.

Living in fools' paradise

By Touria Prayag

Weekly 6th November 2013

“The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those that speak it,” George Orwell once said.

Paul Bérenger and Sir Anerood Jugnauth’s reaction to Jean-Mée Desveaux’s revelations about the Illovo deal tips the scales further in favour of what we have always believed: that the opposition is fine with the concept of freedom of speech, as long as it does not compromise the lily-white image it wants to convey. For as long as we were echoing all the scandals we were being served by them, everything was fi ne, thank you – and remember, nothing was too trivial for us: from official documents to mere emails exchanged between board members. For as long as Jean-Mée Desveaux was criticizing the government of the day, he was a great guy. The minute he touched a raw nerve he became the subject of all sorts of profanities unbecoming of people who aspire to lead this country one day. The words ‘bacharamercenaire’ (a mercenary fool) coming out of the mouth of someone like Sir Anerood Jugnauth is really beyond the pale.

The press conference held after Desveaux’s revelations was in fact good theatre. But the only purpose it served was to make the accused look guilty. Many of the comments which followed show that people are unfortunately still interested in shooting the messenger rather than taking the full measure of the message delivered without fear or favour. Worse, they confirm that people are only prepared to hear what they are interested to hear and that the bias is such that anything which rubs their allegiance the wrong way throws them off balance. And, once off balance, their reaction becomes primitive to the point of starting to throw mud and putting inappropriate labels on people.

Jean-Mée Desveaux was at the heart of a deal which has never stopped being controversial. He therefore is in a position to have information none of us – outside the players at the time – has. He chose to reveal it many years after the deal. So what? Does that justify all the venom spewed on him since? What should be of interest to us is whether his allegations are true or not. If they are a string of lies, he will pay for the consequences of his irresponsibility.

If, on the other hand, they are true and can be proved to be true, then I really despair for the options we will face at the next general election. That concerns me much more than whether Jean-Mée should have spoken then or kept quiet now.

If Jugnauth genuinely wants to clear his name – notice that Desveaux didn’t accuse Bérenger; the latter chose to jump in the trenches and fight a war which, strictly speaking, is not his – then there is only one way: he sues Desveaux for a symbolic rupee and the case comes up quickly enough for the citizens of this country to know where things stand.

Naturally, we have – up till now – heard a lot of venom spewing, mud slinging and character assassination seasoned with a huge amount of speculation about what an ordinary citizen like Jean-Mée Desveaux wants to do with his life – which is none of our business by the way – and little in terms of whether the allegations are true or not. Isn’t it time this chase-your-tail switching and vote-catching posturing stopped and we are given what we deserve: the plain truth. Not from the foul mouths of politicians but from our courts of justice. Many of our politicians do not have any credibility left to trade. So why should we believe them?

Reaction to report of the ASP Port

Par Jean-Mée DESVEAUX

Lexpress du 13 avril 2013

The letter of the Assistant Superintendent of Police (Port) to the Police Commissioner has not gone unnoticed by a bereaved nation.

The whole country was reeling under such a shock at the tragic loss of lives of our compatriots that the designation of that national calamity as an “incident” was suggestive of a certain callousness. But proceeding further into the communiqué, it was going to get much worse. I had to reread the fifth paragraph several times before I could believe the language used to describe the retrieval by the police diving team, of the remains of six of the deceased: “A reconstruction exercise in company of divers who FISHED OUT six bodies was effected at the Southern Underpath."'

Language conveys meaning, attitude and values, sir. If, as an ordinary Mauritian, I found equating the retrieval of so many loved ones to a fishing expedition shocking, how downright offensive must this have been deemed by the bereaved families. So much for the form and lack of decorum and empathy, let us now look at the technical question raised by that retrieval.

I watched an MBC bulletin where the police captain of the diving team that had participated in the “rescue” operation described that process. The Captain of the team explained that the diving team only dived into the watery grave once a sufficient amount of water had been pumped out so as to leave a layer of air between the level of the water and the ceiling of the tunnel. He explained that this was for the protection of the members of the diving team in case they encountered a problem and had to resurface without air.

It was unclear whether the description applied to both the tunnels and the waterfront parking. That the police divers would only dive into a site where several Mauritians are known to have been trapped if and when the water had receded enough to allow them to breathe at the surface is shocking. What that means is that if one of the victims had miraculously found a nook or cranny containing a pocket of air, his chances of survival would have evaporated due to the reaction time of the diving team finding pumps, electricity etc.

A trained police scuba diver has an air bottle of some 15 litres on his back. He can even have two if he wishes, but let us limit him, for arguments sake, to a one bottle backpack. At the surface above the water, this means he or she has 3000 litres of air in the bottle. Supposing that he was to spend all his time at the bottom of one of the two tunnels (say 5 metres in depth), he would be under a pressure of 1.5 atmosphere and would have 2000 litres to breathe. A recreational diver could breathe a good 15 litres per minute but a thoroughly trained and specially selected police diver would be sure to breathe 10 litres per minute only. He can therefore breathe for 200 minutes without resurfacing (three hours and thirty minutes) at the deepest point in the tunnel. Making allowance for the parking being deeper, we are still talking of a lot of time without need to resurface. In addition, the basic protocol of all diving is that one only dives with a buddy who is always next to you if you run out of air. All divers must have two regulators (the one they use to breathe and the “octopus”, second regulator, that is used by a buddy if he or she runs out of air). In other words, the balance of probabilities is this: a team of divers with a breathing autonomy of more than three hours each, hesitating for hours to enter a watery trap, the depth of a swimming pool, to try to rescue members of the public that might still be alive.

What that MBC interview therefore amounts to is this. In spite of the odds of running out of air during their dive in the tunnel being, if not zero, at least extremely minimal, our police force would wait for hours for the water to recede before venturing to ascertain if any helpless victim has survived the catastrophe. The questions that come to mind are numerous: Can the Commissioner confirm the veracity of what was aired on MBC as described above? If that MBC news reel conveys the actual state of affairs, is this the normal rescue protocol in other police forces internationally? Next time, we are faced with a similar tragedy, will the professional police divers continue to choose a zero risk to themselves even if it means a death sentence for any one trapped alive?

“Baseless report”

l'express du 04/11/2006

By Jean-Mée DESVEAUX

Thank you for being the first commentator to note the dastardly Fact-Finding Committee’s treatment of my person in your editorial ( See “La polémique est lancée by Raj Meetarbhan in yesterday’s edition). I would be grateful if you could bring the following clarifications for the edification of your readers so that they may appreciate the utterly contemptible nature of the FFC’s exercise.

As correctly mentioned in the report, I attended a brainstorming session at the inception of the Cyber Village project. As is obvious by its appellation, that session aimed at thrashing out ideas to set the ball rolling with a number of important potential stakeholders: grade A contractors, Ministry of Housing and Land representatives, representatives from the Mauritius Housing Company and Michael Glover, an active and respected personality in the Sporting arena in Mauritius.

These stakeholders having been brought together, that meeting was my first and last involvement EVER in either Cyber Tower, Cyber Village or any of the accompanying (managerial, financial, tendering etc.) activities that unfolded in the years that followed.

While suspending my judgment on the opprobrium that the FF Committee is throwing on such Boards, companies etc. and the persons who served on them, I have at NO time been a member of ANY of the Boards or companies that were linked directly or indirectly with the Ebene Cyber projects or with this field of activity anywhere in Mauritius. I have never set foot at the Cyber Tower or the Cyber Village before, during or after construction -EVER. I have never been involved in ANY administrative or financial decision associated with the project(s) apart from making sure that the CEB and WMA (where I sat as Director) got a piece of the prime land for their headquarters at an affordable price. I have not conducted any meeting with anyone to discuss the project or its ramification since that brainstorming session where one of my sins was to emit the truism that the project was to be implemented by the private sector. This is so “troubling to the commission” that it can only be inferred that the Commission, in its great wisdom, would have preferred the project to be entrusted to the DWC or the Ministry of Public Infrastructure!

I had more than enough on my plate in 2001 after the debacle that the Labour party had left in its wake, to indulge in the JOI or the Cyber tower projects, which were, in addition, of no interest to me. The very proof of my total absence from any involvement in the Cyber activities is borne out by the fact that the FFC could not find an iota of excuse to convoke me to its scrutinizing sessions. I was therefore to be blamed, as is the habit in the worse of banana Republics (which Mauritius is fast becoming under Navin Ramgoolam), without even being granted the opportunity to answer the FFC’s questions. Either the FFC was remiss in not convoking the man its Report mischievously paints as the architect of the “failure” of the Cyber project(s) or, as is patently obvious, it has no leg to stand on in its underhand attempt to pin any responsibility on me whatsoever. Similarly, the flawed methodology of the FFC is brought to light when we realize that the MD of the Cyber Tower for 4 years was neither interviewed nor criticized for the dismal failure he is supposed to have presided over, while my involvement in a brainstorming session of 60 minutes in October 2001, causes me to be pilloried for a series of projects I had absolutely no involvement in.

Your readers are now better able to decide for themselves whether the “facts” found by this Fact-Finding Committee are worth the paper they are written on. The atmosphere of conspiracy, the ominous halo that accompanies every mention of my name, everything points to a fawning commission delivering the pathetic political package that a desperate Government paid it for with taxpayers’ money. That these men have distorted readily accessible facts to the detriment of the truth which they were supposed to bring to light, is a matter that the members of the committee will have to live with. As to the innuendos associating me with a “flawed” bidding process in which I had NO involvement whatsoever, it is a despicable abuse of basic decency. This vile and totally baseless accusation is to be treated with the contempt that the members of this FFC have brought over themselves in their last chance to make it to posterity.

On the steps of Attila

l'express du 24/05/2006

By Jean-Mée DESVEAUX

The overwhelming majority of the world flora bears both a scientific and a common name. The Albizia Vaughanii is not common enough to have such luck. This did not stop the last reproducing individual of this critically endangered endemic species from being callously butchered on CEB’s Sept Cascades land a few days ago. The act was criminal. It was most certainly premeditated and it was senseless since this Albizia Vaughanii could have been used as the highlight of the cable car project “Seven Waterfall Horizons Mauritius Limited (SWHML)”, sponsored by the Seetaram family.

A strange asymmetry in notoriety exists between the Ferney forest of the south east and CEB’s forest of Sept Cascades. While the specific details of the natural treasures of the Ferney forest were unknown to the world at large until the Prime Minister’s Office requested the Mauritian Wildlife to conduct a detailed audit, the forest of Sept Cascades was not only known to the international watchdog World Conservation Union (IUCN) but, to boost, the IUCN had the species of critically endangered plants minutiously recorded on its international red list of threatened species! For the Tiger of the Indian Ocean which housed the International conference on the dangers threatening small island States in 2005, Mauritius could have acted with a little more circumspection than we are..

If it is only now that this project and its ramifications hit the headlines, the battle between the political might of the sponsors of Seven Waterfalls Horizons Ltd, and the endeavours of CEB to protect the environmental heritage of the country had been simmering for quite a while. After long months of what the then Chairman described as unbearable political pressure, the first open salvos came with the previous Minister of Public Utilities’ shameless letter to the CEB Board ordering it not to go ahead with its decision to request Mauritius Wildlife to conduct an environmental audit of Seven Waterfalls forest. The Most Honourable Minister’s anxiety hinged on the fact that, as it turned out to be the case, the location of the endangered species would interfere with the Attila type lease that was being proposed to the promoter. Luckily, that was a time when the CEB had not yet turned into the footman of Government House when it came to protecting the Board’s and the country’s interest. The Honourable Minister’s letter was treated with the contempt it amply deserved and Mauritius Wildlife was allowed to conduct its survey in masterly style, identifying the location of the critically endangered species to the nearest one. Another assault came, this time from the ex Minister of Agriculture who tried to use all his persuasion on the MWF to "steer clear of this project because it is highly political". That Minister had taken a keen interest in the project which he defended in cabinet and elsewhere.

It is the same political might, accompanied by its usual powers of persuasion that are, at present, concocting and disseminating the most erroneous interpretation as reported by l’express from the Most Honourable Minister of Environment’s staff. According to this piece of legal interpretation that deserves the Dunciad of jurisprudence, the land conversion permit that the promoters received from the Ministry of Agriculture allows them to do whatever they wish with all the land involved in the project. This would of course put the project out of the ken and jurisdiction of the environmental police. It is fortunate that this Attila type of interpretation of the environmental situation is wrong in law. The conversion certificate allows the promoters to use their own hitherto agricultural land for leisure park and industrial purposes. They have received no such blank cheque in relation to either the portions of the CEB’s forest land nor to the State land both of which are required for the project. In fact, as we will see later, far from giving the project promoters free rein, the lease drafted by some of CEB’s previous board members is very encompassing in what the promoters can NOT do.

Following from the same logic, the conveniently supine stance of the Ministry of Environment reported in l’expresss according to which the project does not require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is totally misconstrued. The mandatory EIA has been in the hands of Mr Florens of the University of Mauritius for quite a while now. This academic has the reputation of integrity and intellectual honesty borne out by his track record in various such issues. Let us give him the freedom to reflect on this project and in the mean time assess the cost to the future generation of Mauritians if the onslaught of the politically mighty is not reined in. It would mean the irreversible destruction of what the Mauritius Wildlife (MWF) found on CEB’s land:

1)The CEB land at Tamarind Falls forms part of the Vacoas ridge forest that has been almost totally destroyed for agriculture, hunting and developments. The most important remaining areas of this forest type are a reserve at Mondrain and the forest at Tamarind Falls.

2)Although much of the forest at Tamarind Falls is degraded, due to poor land management and invasive alien plant species (such as goyave de chine and privet), there are some areas that are rich in natives, home to critically endangered plant species (as recorded on the international red list of threatened plants, produced by IUCN.

3)A rapid assessment of the forest on CEB land surrounding Sept Cascades found 61 species of native flowering plant species of which 30 are endemic. This list does not include orchids or ferns. This area is home to four plant species that are on the verge of extinction. Two are restricted to this area, and two have almost their entire world population in this area.

4)Psiadia Cateractae (IUCN Critically Endangered) is only known from 4 individuals in the world. These are all found on CEB land at Tamarind Falls, on the top of the first fall of the cascade.

5)Polyscias Gracilis (IUCN Critically Endangered) is known from less than 15 individuals; the CEB land at Tamarind Falls contains 11 of these trees, occurring around the pipeline and base stations B and T4.

6)Polyscias Paniculata (IUCN proposed Critically Endangered) is known from only 3 individuals; two of which are on the CEB land at Tamarind Falls. These two individuals are found on the edge of a brisée near the reservoir

7)Albizia Vaughanii (IUCN Critically Endangered) known from 15 individuals, all but one of which are on the CEB land at Tamarind Falls, near the pipeline and base stations B and T4.

8)Tamarind Falls area is also home to the Mauritian Kestrel, and is used by many other native animal species including the endemic fruit bat and pic pic. There are also occasional sightings of the echo parakeet (gros cateau vert).

It is the Albizia Vaughanii that was mutilated in an unprecedented clearing of its forest by CEB over the recent days. This tree can be said to be the jewel in the crown of Sept Cascades since it is the only reproducing individual of this critically endangered species. The other 13 don’t have that potential. This is a most ominous sign of the way things might evolve from now. The Albizia was next to a track that runs parallel to CEB’s huge water pipe. It was obvious from the start that the tree’s proximity to the track opened it to the vagaries of the careless transportation of equipment required for the project. From such a point of view, it was a hindrance to the project. No more! And let no one point a finger at the promoter, since this was a mere accident we are told, a pure coincidental occurrence of self-mutilation by CEB of the national treasure. That such mutilation will make the otherwise difficult transportation of the project equipment much easier, could suggest that the whole episode reeks of collusion between the new CEB and the promoter. But if it is a pure chance occurrence, how do we ensure it does not recur when say the proximity of another precious tree to the base of a pylon makes it rather awkward for the construction of the structure? The answer to that question is a tough one when the reader takes into consideration the utmost care taken to protect that individual tree in the lease agreement between CEB and SWHML. Article 10 on the environmental conditions says:

“The Lessee shall indicate the location of the only reproduing reproducing individual of the critically endangered and endemic Albizia Vaughanii on the access route to all contractors ; vehicles used during the construction should have a height of less than 2.5 m. This will prevent unnecessary damage to the last flowering individual of this species. The construction and maintenance of Stations B and T4 must be conducted with extreme caution so as not to cause damage to the Albizia Vaughanii.”

There is indeed a real concern regarding the size of the bases on which the pylons will stand. The type of cars being envisaged in the project has a capacity of 80 passengers which is rather similar to a bus. The promoter had proposed a central base of 25x25 metres initially but since this could not be accommodated in the pristine location he had chosen due to the vicinity of the endangered species and since he did not choose another location, he opted for a base of 10x10 metres. It taxes one’s imagination to conceive how such a monstrous car could rely on such a slim structure. If for reasons of safety raised at the last minute by the promoter, the initial base size was to be reverted to, we would kiss goodbye to the natural treasures of Sept Cascades.

This concern is reinforced by the persistent reverberations through the grapevine that the dimensions given by the promoter for the major base in the EIA project is in fact 25x25 metres. Additionally, quite in keeping with his effortless sense of disrespect for the spirit as well as the letter of the engagement with CEB, the promoter has even in the absence of an EIA, exercised what to him amounts to an inalienable right to clear up some 30 x 30 metres of land without any authorization or monitoring.

It is true that at Art 12, the Lease Agreement makes allowance for “damage to any CEB assets whether they be infrastructural or natural…would be a sufficient ground for rescinding the lease” and that “the lessor reserves the right to cancel the lease agreement for failure on the part of the lessee to comply with and honour its obligations specified in …..3), the report of MWF as contained in Article 10. How does one ensure however that the new CEB, that toothless bulldog, will put an end to its self mutilation and display instead the rigorous monitoring that the nation expects from a responsible corporate entity that is to boost a public utility! As to the other protectors of our rights in that regard we may as well give up all hope. After Inspector Tuyau’s punishment for duty done without fear or favour, one could hardly see an officer from the Police of the Environment ask the promoter to accompany him to the next police station for a statement. As to the Forestry department, their concern is quite real since they have offered nothing less than moving all the endangered trees to freshly dug up holes in the ground….that will serve them as sepulchre.

Uncanny powers of persuasion

 l'express du 22/03/2006

By Jean-Mée DESVEAUX

To say that Gamma Civic’s boss has a great power of persuasion would be the understatement of the year. Mr Tommy Ah Teck’s knack in that respect is nothing short of miraculous.

Adhering strictly to the technical facts outlined in the Final Feasibility Report: Environmental Solid Waste Management Project submitted to the Ministry of Local Government in March 2005 by Carl Bro International, we showed conclusively that an incineration project in Mauritius is by far and away a costlier, more dangerous and messier affair than using the available landfill site at Mare-Chicose to cater for our municipal solid waste (MSW) until around 2040.

Presumably caught unawares when he expected it least and chagrined by our conclusion, Mr Ah Teck allowed a technical debate to degenerate into name-calling. We won’t follow him into the sewers that he apprehends for reasons best known to him. The reader will therefore browse through Carl Bro’s report below to make up his-her own mind whether what we described last week was the emanation of a wayward imagination. He-she has a mighty surprise waiting for him-her at the end! (Emphasis added)

“The timing of a later
introduction of incineration
cannot be established at
present, but seems likely to be
beyond 2012, if at all within
the planning period analysed
(2004-2034)”

1) General desirability of incineration (page 27):

“Incineration of municipal solid waste is not feasible in Mauritius at present. Incineration is costly and no justification can be found for these costs as long as Government is committed to provide the required landfill capacity. The timing of a later introduction of incineration cannot be established at present, but seems likely to be beyond 2012, if at all within the planning period analysed (2004-2034). Favourable changes in the MSW properties, and (…) reduced environmental impact of new concepts and technologies in energy-from-waste plants can be expected over this period.”

2) On the low net calorific value and moisture composition of MSW:

a) “the consensus is that the (local) waste is higher in inherent moisture than usual for MSW incinerator design elsewhere, mostly because of the high organic component from kitchen and yard wastes. This gives a low average net calorific value (7.5 MJ/KG or lower) which is subject to further deterioration during times of heavy rainfall (…) Below 7.5 MJ/KG, it is expected that incineration would have to be frequently sustained with auxiliary fuel, and would also have a lower boiler efficiency, which means that an already costly treatment method will be even more expensive.” (P 21)

b) “Sidec-Arup 1998 study’s projection on future calorific values gave annual averages of 6.68 MJ/KG for 2001, 6.85 MJ/KG for 2006 and 7.159 MJ/KG for 2011”. (P 103)

c)“The University of Mauritius has shown that MSW is dominated by organic component consisting of kitchen-vegetable wastes; garden green waste. Combustion of wet wastes (…) which may have 50% to 90% moisture content, can even be a net absorber of heat energy – not a source of energy release – because of the need to evaporate the water.” (P 102/103)

d) “Incineration may be an appropriate solution for Mauritius in the (long-term) future, but it should be assessed again only when the effects of recycling and composting are known, when the average calorific value is expected to be considerably higher than today and also less liable to extreme variations. At present and during the planning period, the availability of landfill sites should continue to offer a much lower cost for disposal. When that situation ceases to apply, new concepts for energy-from-waste facilities of lower cost and greater public acceptability may have become commercially proven...” (P 22).

e) “The local high organics and high moisture MSW of low and time variable net calorific value is not ideally suited to incineration. Equipment can be designed to deal with it, with the addition of support fuel (…) but handling costs and (…) plant efficiencies would undoubtedly be less favourable for the incineration option than if it were of higher and more consistent quality”. (P 106).

f) (And this is important for a claim made by Mr Ah Teck who, probably through an oversight, exposes only the side of the truth that suits him):

Through “small scale composting plant due to open at some point in 2005, there are projections that 25% of the organic components could be recovered by 2014 (…) a reduction in the moisture level of this waste (…) should increase the NCV by more than 1 MJ/KG in the average waste received (…) to bring potential incinerator design into the normal range of plant experience.” (P 106). In other words, with composting (that has barely started), one of the several objections to the incineration technology may start to disappear from the scene in eight years time. But Gamma is starting to build in January 2007!

3) On the relationship between the low calorific composition of the waste and emission of carcinogenic dioxin:

a) “These low average and extreme calorific values would require special design features in an incineration plant since they lie outside the normal operating experience of most application of mass-burn technology…In addition, the high moisture level leads to much higher exhaust gas flow rates and hence boiler passages… For dioxin control (…) a minimum of 850 deg C for at least 2 seconds residence time of the exhaust gases (is required). For calorific values below 7.5 MJ/KG it may be necessary to provide combustion support by burning fuel oil in order to maintain these conditions”. (P 104).

b) Table 5.19 on page 108 shows that while the European Union (EU) directive 2000/76/EC stipulates a value of 0.1ng/m3 of dioxin emission into the air, the consultant believes that an incineration plant that burns the refuse that is available in Mauritius at present would in fact emit 1.0 ng/ m3, that is 10 times the permissible EU level. To the extent that the bigger plant size considered by the consultant is 150,000 tons or half the size considered by Gamma Civic, it would allow a degree of sorting out the type of waste it accepts. Gamma’s promise to treat indiscriminately 80% of the MSW would logically emit more dioxin.

c) “The chlorine present within the plastic component of the waste leads to relatively high concentration of HCL which require removal in order to meet the required design emission standards.” (P 108). Table 5.19 on that page shows that the value accepted by the EU directive for HCL is 10 while that acceptable in Mauritius is 200 and, best of all, a plant burning our local waste would emit between 1,100 and 1,400!

4) Cost consideration:

a) “The financial analysis shows that the lowest initial investments are required in the landfill – only scenario. Here the initial investments amount to $35.2 millions... Scenarios with MSW incineration are more costly from $US 78.9million to $110.4 million in total initial investments… The annual operating costs are also lowest for the landfill – only scenario with $3.74 compared to $ 5.52 and $6.86 (for the incineration scenarios). In terms of costs per tonnage of waste, the financial analysis estimates unit costs of $21 for MSW land filling and $88 and $117 for MSW (2 different sizes) incineration”. (P 24).

5) On the toxicity of the ash residues (another “erroneous allegation” of ours according to Mr Ah Teck. (P 113):

“The high heavy metal concentrations present in the ash residues often limits the potential utilization of the ash and when they are disposed of to landfill sites, leaching of pollutants may be a source of ground water contamination. Fly ash is more readily leached… and so is typically disposed of into synthetic or clay lined landfill sites… The contamination of fly-ash with heavy metals result in the ash being considered as a hazardous waste and requiring special permits for landfill disposal.”

6) On the desirability of Mare-Chicose:

“Being a soft site, Mare-Chicose provides the best features for a future Mega Landfill, (…) the existence of Mare-Chicose (…) presents a strong case for extended development.” (P 28).

Unfortunately for Mr Ah Teck, the above are facts based on scientific information gathered as recently as 2005, not “erroneous allegations” as he would like to claim. Facts don’t lie!

Or do they? For lo and behold! Mr Ah Teck tells us in his rejoinder that we should rest easy with his project since the feasibility of his incineration studies have been carried out by no other than…yes, Carl Bro International itself who, “hired as advisers for project analysis and in preparation for (Gamma’s) proposal” overturned, within a mere nine months, every single conclusion that they had given their imprimatur to.

Thus, according to Mr Ah Teck, within the span of nine months Carl Bro concluded in a report to Gamma in December 2005:

1) “Waste incineration with energy generation seems to be a realistic and advantageous waste treatment option in Mauritius.”

2) Incineration “can be accomplished today for less than half the amounts” quoted by Carl Bro a few months before.

3) “Based on evaluation of Carl Bro these revised costs for (incineration of) solid waste disposal are roughly comparable with those of a new landfill…”

As we said above, Mr Ah Teck is matchless. However, in view of the public importance of this project of Rs 4.5 billion, instead of putting to rest our misgivings, the chief executive of Gamma Civic has increased them a thousand fold. How on earth can such an unparalleled reversal of professional opi-nion by Carl Bro International take place in such an indecently short lapse of time.

While we acknowledge that there is great civic virtue in endeavouring to treat the rubbish of our little nation, until such plans get off the ground if a gullible government permits, we should not be treated with the unadulterated rubbish of the virtual kind.

Waste to energy technology a most advantageous option for Mauritius

l'express du 15/03/2006

COMMENTING “LA CULTURE DU DOUTE” BY JEAN-MÉE DESVEAUX

It is a commendable act when a citizen assumes the responsibility of spokesman for his fellow countrymen and, in quest of enlightenment, pens down concerns pertaining to a project of national interest.

However, the article of l’express dated 8 March 2006 and bearing the title “La culture du doute” was clearly NOT written with any such noble intentions, and in fact contains statements that could qualify for legal action on grounds of libel. Attempting to understand the motivations that urged Mr Desveaux to transgress the law would require our intellect to wallow in mire. Therefore, we choose to make honourable use of newspaper space by sticking to a fundamental purpose – that of informing – indeed, since Mr Desveaux made several erroneous allegations in the above mentioned article that must be addressed, including:

1. “Il était déjà connu que cette technologie été très critiquée, là où elle s’était implantée ………..”. Nothing could be further from the truth. Modern waste to energy (WTE) technology has enjoyed wide acceptance for decades in a number or advanced countries around the world, including Singapore, Japan, Denmark, Germany, South Korea, and France, to name a few. In just the past year, after an extensive multi-year study of all available alternative waste management schemes, the Environmental Protection Department of Hong Kong has selected WTE as the foundation for the future disposal of solid waste as part of their integrated waste management plan. Countries that select modern WTE technology to meet their solid waste disposal needs often have limited land area available for landfills, and in all cases, have convinced themselves that WTE is an environmentally responsible, safe and preferred means of solid waste disposal.

2. “….un incinérateur opérant dans les conditions locales émettrait un taux de dioxine dix fois plus élevé que ce que permet la directive de l’Union européenne……” This is absolutely not the case. Modern waste to energy facilities of the type that we are proposing utilize advanced combustion control, dry scrubbers, and filters to ensure that dioxin emissions are contained within allowable regulatory limits. By way of example, dioxin emissions from WTE plants in the United States have been reduced 99% over the past 10 years and now form less than one half of one percent of the total dioxin inventory in the country. Some individual WTE facilities have achieved dioxin levels so low that they cannot be measured. According to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), backyard burning of waste, metal smelting, land application of sewage sludge, coal fired power plants, and diesel trucks are all more significant emitters of dioxin than WTE facilities. In addition, it should be understood that dioxins are found naturally in the environment and dioxin emissions are associated with all forms of combustion, including volcanoes, forest fires, smoking tobacco, and burning of agricultural waste. Recently experts have concluded that dioxin emissions released from forest fires alone in the US equal those from all other EPA quantified sources combined.

All of that said, responsible governments recognize that dioxins above certain threshold levels are toxic and can be carcinogenic. To mitigate the potential adverse health consequences of dioxins, government toxicology experts in advanced countries set maximum threshold limits for dioxin emissions from WTE facilities and regularly monitor the WTE facilities for compliance. In our proposal to the government we have suggested they consider adopting the very strict dioxin emission standard established by the European Union and Japan (0.1 ng I-TEQ/m3). Further, detailed studies to quantify the potential dioxin emissions associated with our project will be conducted as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment process, and development of the project will not proceed until the government has been convinced that dioxin levels can be systematically managed at safe levels.



Claim these carbon credits

3. “Une proportion de ces detritus est en fait si toxique….” Overall, WTE processes reduce the volume of the original municipal solid waste stream by 90 % in volume, significantly reducing the ultimate amount of land required for landfill disposal. Potentially hazardous substances like volatile organic compounds and benzene that can otherwise be found in waste in a landfill are destroyed. Approximately 80% of the ash, known as the bottom ash, is typically considered non-hazardous and can be recycled for use in road bed and/or construction projects. In Germany 70% of the bottom ash is recycled in this fashion, and in the Netherlands 90%. In Singapore, WTE ash is utilized in an offshore landfill as part of a land reclamation project and in Bermuda WTE ash is used in concrete products for artificial reefs and shore abatements. In some instances where the initial waste streams have elevated levels of heavy metals, the fly ash resulting from a WTE project can be considered hazardous. In these instances the ash can be safely deposited in landfills specifically designed for this purpose. Since the fly ash is dry, future risk associated with emissions is very low relative to the risks of leachate leakage and gaseous emissions associated with a conventional landfill.

4. “Incineration is costly, and no justification can be found in these costs.” Traditionally WTE technology has often been viewed as an environmentally preferred but more costly method of solid waste disposal than landfill, available only to the most affluent societies. In fact, the original findings of Carlbro recommended a landfill on the basis of lower up-front costs, but recognized that waste incineration was an environmentally acceptable option that should be considered in Mauritius in the future once cost considerations could be addressed. Since the initiation of the original Carl Bro studies, fossil fuel energy costs have doubled and WTE capital costs have been reduced. While the original Carl Bro estimates for waste disposal ranged from $US 88 per tonne to $US 117 per tonne, our feasibility studies have established that disposal of solid waste via WTE can be accomplished today for less than half those amounts.

Based on evaluation of Carl Bro, these revised costs for WTE solid waste disposal are roughly comparable with those of a new landfill, especially considering the legacy aftercare costs associate with a landfill after it has been filled. It must be understood that potentially toxic leachate and gaseous emissions from a landfill can remain a concern for 50 to 100 years, and as such, the costs associated with managing these risks is impossible to establish with certainty.

Finally, unlike landfills which are significant emitters of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that has been attributed to undesirable changes in climate, a modern WTE facility is a net reducer of greenhouse gas emissions and as such can qualify for carbon credits under the Kyoto Protocol accords. As project sponsors we have offered to assist the government in establishing a claim for these carbon credits and capturing the associated monetary value.

Over the life of our project these credits could be worth as much as $US 30 million to $US 60 million, significantly offsetting the investment costs associated with the WTE project.

5. “Dans les deux cas, si le projet déraille, c’est le gouvernement, lié par un contrat de 25ans avec l’opérateur, qui paie les pots cassés.” Again, this is not true. Precedents for the contractual mechanisms for private sector investments in infrastructure have already been established within the government’s Independent Power Project program. Within these contracts, operating performance standards for projects are established, and failure to meet the performance standards result in penalties to the project sponsors. In no way is the government bound to “foot the bill” for projects that fail to perform up to standards.

6. “Si la valeur thermique de ce combustible n’est pas suffisante, au lieu de brûler le déchet pour produire de l’électricité, on doit brûler de l’huile lourde pour atteindre ce but ….”. While the project will conduct a detailed waste characterization assessment with the government before embarking on final project design, the waste characterization studies currently available have established the average net calorific value of waste in Mauritius to be 7.5 Mj/kg which is sufficient to support combustion without need for supplemental fuel. Further, segregation and composting of some fraction of the yard waste that currently goes into landfills also makes good commercial and environmental sense. As project sponsors we have proposed to assist the government in developing their plan for composting. A successful composting program would result in a net calorific value increase of 1.0 Mj/kg, reduce disposal costs, and provide a material that can be utilized to support agriculture within our country.


Benefits for many generations to come

Mr. Desveaux, in his article, refers time and again to Carl Bro International, as professionals in the field of waste management. Mr. Desveaux should therefore be reassured in the knowledge that these very same highly esteemed professionals, with extensive experience in matters of waste management, were hired as advisors for project analysis and in the preparation of its proposal for a waste to energy incinerator. In a report to Gamma dated December 2005, Carl Bro International concludes: “waste incineration with energy generation seems to be a realistic and advantageous waste treatment option in Mauritius.”

Beyond the waste disposal attributes of our WTE project, the electricity generation benefits should not be overlooked. By utilizing municipal solid waste as a fuel, our WTE project will deliver cost competitive electricity that is both renewable and indigenous. Fossil fuels that would otherwise have to be imported for electricity generation and the associated drain on foreign exchange reserves will be eliminated. Future fossil fuel price increases will also be avoided, the cost of electricity from our project will essentially stay flat over the life of the project. Diversification of energy supply in Mauritius will increase and security of energy supply will be enhanced. All of these benefits can be accrued without sacrificing the environment, in fact, in recognition of the performance of the WTE industry in the United States, the U.S. EPA has stated that today’s WTE facilities produce electricity “with less environmental impact than almost any other source of electricity”.

We fully believe that modern WTE technology provides the best available means of safe, environmentally responsible solid waste disposal and clean, renewable, and indigenous generation of electric power for Mauritius. In developing a world class WTE project for Mauritius we fully intend to embrace the principals of transparency and benefit for Mauritians, benefits that will be enjoyed for many generations to come. We welcome the support of like-minded Mauritians as we embrace the development of our country and its future.



Carl AH TECK

Chief Executive Gamma Civic

Jean-Mée Desveaux: the voice of reason in a wilderness of mediocrity

l'express du 17/09/2005

It is so easy to tell when someone has lost an argument; his selective choice of only one area of the battleground for his counterattack whilst ignoring completely his most vulnerable position means that he has lost the overall battle before a single shot has been fired. In these situations, discretion is infinitely preferable to a false sense of valour and with hindsight comes the realisation that silence would have been by far the better option than trying to defend the indefensible.

The interview in wednesday's l'express of Jean-Mée Desveaux showed the ex-super conseiller in brilliantly combative form; his analysis of our country's precarious situation was excellent and thankfully lacked the generalised, trite, nonsensical language that our politicians are so fond of. He gave a detailed but very careful account of how the least qualified of the candidates managed to become the head of the Mauritius Revenue Authority; he described the candidate as the cousin of the Deputy Prime Minister and whose highest academic qualification apparently was the humble School Certificate. The bait was set and Pravind Jugnauth greedily gobbled it, hook, line, and sinker! Jugnauth's riposte was pathetic to say the least and simply entailed the assertion that although they are related, he and Maya Hanoomanjee are not cousins.

That's all right then! We can now all sleep soundly and not worry our tired little heads about whether this is another case of nepotism and of placing relatives in positions of authority that they are singularly ill-qualified to occupy. But what about the school certificate bit? Not one word from Pravind Jugnauth despite his reported state of shock and indignation. He still has not learned the simple fact that you can argue about opinions and rant and rave about imagined insults and injustices, but facts always speak for themselves. Perhaps Pravind Jugnauth will now tell us why Bert Cunningham and the Head of Interpol were removed from the short list of candidates and why Maya Hanoomanjee was deemed to be far better than them?

I have been asking our politicians for months now to give an honest appraisal of our dire economic situation and to act accordingly. I criticised Ramgoolam after he made the rash promise on 1st May to exclude everyone earning less than Rs 25,000 per month from income tax; I said then that that promise was unsustainable and would lead us to bankruptcy. Desveaux is arguing the same point but I think he is being naively optimistic if he believes that the opposition will not, in his own words, rub your (Ramgoolam's) nose in it if you renege on the tax promise.

Since he came out of his self imposed purdah following his defeat at the general elections, Jugnauth has done nothing (apart from denying that Maya Hanoomanjee is his cousin!) but shout about the government breaking its promise on tax and Berenger has been making similarly strident noises.

Now, I fully understand that the role of the opposition is to oppose the government and to show it in a bad light whenever possible. But we are in a state of economic emergency, as Berenger kept reminding us when he was Prime Minister, and all our politicians need to now put into practice the word that they are fond of using but rarely show any signs of : PATRIOTISM. If they really love this country as much as they say, they should get rid of that fiscal straight jacket and allow the country to breathe deeply in order to meet the dangerous times ahead. Can you see our politicians doing it? This is highly unlikely as we have been lumbered with the biggest bunch of megalomaniacs on God's earth who will do anything to gain power and who take it in turn every five years to inflict their own brand of rape and pillage of the national coffers.

«It is no use reducing the cabinet by a few members if you do not then have the will to ensure that those appointed to ministerial positions have the ability to do the job properly, irrespective of stupid ethnic considerations»

Rama Sithanen is right to highlight tourism as the engine for our economic prosperity. But our situation is too alarming and mere tinkering with the issues, as he did recently, is unlikely to achieve great progress. Why would any European want to come to paradise island when he can get a much cheaper package to other beautiful havens? A 14-day all inclusive holiday in a four or five star hotel in Goa, Thailand, Penang, Fiji, the West Indies, etc., currently costs half the price of a similar one in Mauritius. We may have the nicest beaches in the world and our satini bombli grillé may taste divine, but I think most people will be tempted to go elsewhere for half the price. And who was the genius who spent vast amounts of money to advertise Air Mauritius at Blackburn Rovers football ground? Didn't he realise that it is the most boring team with possibly the poorest supporters in England and its matches are hardly ever shown on national TV?

Desveaux's trenchant views on the sugar industry destroy the nasty, racist views about him that were scandalously peddled by the Alliance sociale during the electoral campaign. Let us see now whether those who bored us rigid about the five families and the oligarchy can come up with better and more challenging ideas to reform that industry. His comments on the merits of an inheritance tax deserve careful analysis by a government in urgent need of replenishing its finances. A government that claims to put people first can ensure that rich people who spend a lifetime evading taxes pay their fiscal duties to the nation when they die.

Desveaux's perspicacious analysis of the fundamental weaknesses of our society is at its best when he decries the lack of desire to put the right people in the right jobs and the destructive obsession to insist on «jobs for the boys» after every election. It is no use reducing the cabinet by a few members if you do not then have the will to ensure that those appointed to ministerial positions have the ability to do the job properly, irrespective of stupid ethnic considerations.

The cheer leaders

So far, the only people who appear to have mastered their briefs are Ramgoolam, Rama Valayden, Satish Faugoo, Asraf Dullul, Indira Seeburn, Arvin Boolell, and James Burty David. Rama Sithanen has been unusually quiet and his lack of action regarding the dramatic increase in the price of oil shows amazing complacency and fiscal irresponsibility. The rest of the cabinet has not exactly shaken the world and some of the new ones give the impression of rabbits caught in the glare of the headlights.

The tragedy of Mauritian politics has always been the concentration of too much power in the hands of the Prime Minister, which hardly leaves any room for any other minister to use his initiative and hopefully address the many problems that we face in a constructive manner. It also allows the most incompetent people imaginable to hide away in their ministerial limousines and do nothing whilst enjoying the trappings of ministerial power and privileges. They are reduced to the role of cheer leaders for the Prime Minister and follow him around like lap dogs. Can anyone remember anything at all that ex-ministers like Yerrigadoo, Bachoo, Gayan, Khushiram, Sylvio Michel, the ex-minister of Justice whose name always escapes me beacuse I cannot remember anything that he achieved, Putten, Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun, Arianne Navarre-Marie, Soodhun, etc. achieved during the last five years? And what about smiler Choonee during his two separate tenures of office? Cuttaree spent a huge amount of public money travelling the world whilst achieving nothing of intrinsic value for the country and his gruesome combination with Bérenger in the diplomatic arena is notable for one dubious achievement: the almost complete breakdown in diplomatic relation with Great Britain, the country that takes the largest proportion of our exports.

To benefit citizens

The only weakness in the interview was Desveaux's reluctance to attack the sacred cow of public expenditure; in particular, I cannot understand the casual acceptance by everyone that duty free cars, numerous travels abroad, huge salaries that are morally repugnant, extravagant expenses/entertainment allowances that have turned servi mo pays into unashamed servi moi, 13th month salary for 12 months work, etc are rights that people are entitled to regardless of the national economic situation. The Lord Mayors of our capital city have wasted 4 million rupees on 30 «missions» abroad in the last four years and I, for one, would welcome any of these people to explain and show how these travels have benefitted the citizens of Port-Louis. Rs 4 million would have provided 20 houses of the most basic type to accommodate some of the homeless people who we walk away from in case their misery and misfortune is contagious. 30 «missions» equal roughly Rs 1 million in air fares, which means that the remaining Rs 3 millions went on personal expenses for these patriots. Nice job if you can get it!

Pravind Jugnauth gives the impression that he desperately wants prices to rise and wrongly equates this eventuality with his return to popular appeal. He is wrong. He would gain greater respect from the population if he adopts a more responsible attitude. The role of the opposition is not merely to oppose the government of the day. In times of economic emergency, he should replace criticism at any cost with constructive criticism and the formulation of new ideas to move the country forward. He should perhaps read Desveaux's interview again and adopt the latter's constructive approach to finding ways to drag us from the financial quagmire that the ex-Minister of Finance is largely responsible for.

R.A.J.