Convicted murderer released in exchange for support to Parti Lepep

Transcription

www.today.sc
Wednesday 6 January 2016
SR 10/-
2015 Presidential election
Newsline Convicted murderer released in exchange
n News
n Sports
n Business
n Life
n Deportation of
Mauritian lawyer:
Controversy refuses
(page 2)
to die down
for support to Parti Lepep?
The second petition filed by the SNP yesterday contains an alarming number of allegations of irregularities, supported by affidavits, that are said to have
taken place during the second round of the election and that unduly influenced the outcome of the process. The SNP also claims that over a thousand letters
were distributed to people by the Social Welfare Agency, offering them supplementary income in exchange for their votes.
T
n Mervin Dugasse
named best bodybuilder
ahead of Mr Seychelles
(page 4)
n H Resort Beau
Vallon Beach: Meeting
Santa
(page 8)
he Presidential candidate
of the Seychelles National
Party (SNP), Wavel Ramkalawan has filed a second petition in the Constitutional court
yesterday, in which he averred
that the 2015 Presidential election should be declared null and
void as it did not comply with certain provisions of the Elections
Act and because numerous illegal
practices were committed by the
ruling party, Parti Lepep, thus
preventing free and fair elections.
In this second petition, Mr
Ramkalawan avers that the irregularities were so numerous that
they cast serious doubts on the
fairness of the election process. In
those circumstances and in light
of the fact that only 193 votes
separate Wavel Ramkalawan and
James Michel, he has asked that
the 2015 Presidential election be
declared null and void.
The election petition also states
that there were irregularities in
the counting of ballot papers and
that this affected the results of the
election. It thus seeks a recount of
the ballot papers used nationwide
in the election.
The election petition is the
second petition to be filed by the
leader of the SNP who contested
the Presidential runoff under the
banner “Union for Change”, with
the support of three other opposition candidates. The election petition has been filed under Article
51 of the Constitution and Section
44 of the Elections Act, CAP 68A.
The first petition filed on Monday 28 December averred that the
announcement of the percentage
awarded to contender James Michel was incorrect and therefore
the Certificate of election issued
to Mr Michel “was erroneous, improper and illegal”. It averred that
no candidate won more than 50%
of the votes cast and asked the
Wavel Ramkalawan (centre) with lawyers Annette and Bernard Georges and other partners in court yesterday.
Continued on page 3
Retail
Open… actually
n Arterial Network
Seychelles: Back from
the Venice Biennale
(page 13)
The Ramajayam and Raha supermarket
chain stores owned by the Pillay R Group,
and the Mohan Shopping Centre kept their
doors open throughout the New Year period despite the popular practice followed by
many of closing for the holidays.
Here’s why and how.
Read more on page 7
The supermarket at Docklands was one of the retail outlets that remained open during the festivities.
12.85
13.40
12.80
13.30
13.70
14.40
13.75
14.45
18.85
19.80
18.80
19.70
p2
Nichole’s take on …
Propaganda in overdrive
By N.Tirant
Since the New Year began and the national 100-days countdown of
promised change was officially announced, the President’s inauguration warning to his Ministers to “communicate” and use public relations to “sensitise” the public and tell them about the good work that
was going on in his government is being heeded!
The government-sponsored propaganda machine has also risen to
the task and is now in overdrive as it spells out for the benefit of the
people the “proper explanation” and account of those good works that
should dispel any efforts by “others to create doubt, suspicion and rumours,” as the President warned.
Whilst the nation was celebrating the New Year this past weekend,
our top executives were busy staging shows for public consumption.
“This story shows that there are many good deeds happening in the
country, that we are taking care of our people because we are a government who takes care of its citizens,” said the Minister designate at a
New Year’s eve luncheon sponsored by a local businessman in honour
of some 60 physically challenged citizens. The “story” was of a young
disabled man who the entrepreneur had employed and who had shown
that he could work well. We don’t know much about the young man’s
real story or about his disability, but we do know that the private sector
benefactor awarded the “remarkable individual with special abilities” a
“gift” of SCR10,000 during the special lunch attended by no less than
three Ministers.
“We all need to work together to find out how to make life as good as
possible for the Seychellois,” said the Tourism Minister also present at
the function. Did I say tourism? In case you missed its relevance, note
that the other half of that ministerial portfolio includes “Culture”. The
occasion of a lunch for our disabled citizens most certainly qualifies as
a “cultural” event!
Meanwhile, the President was busy thanking the armed forces for
their “hard work, loyalty and professionalism in protecting our country and safeguarding its sovereignty in 2015”.
The “peace and stability” for which our country is known, according
to the President, seems to have more to do with “the good work of the
SPDF in keeping peace, unity and stability of the country” than with
the fact that the Seychellois are generally known for being a docile and
peaceful nation. What exactly he had in mind when he referred to the
army’s “loyalty” is much less clear, as was his “caution” levied on unnamed “persons who are inciting instability in the country” – his words
sounding off-key to the music of the “together” campaign under which
he pledged his “unity” government.
Every citizen knows the importance of “protecting the order of the
country” – but the beauty of true democracy is that it leaves us many
ways of loving our country. Ensuring that it remains a “peaceful and
stable” democracy is not to be understood as carte blanche for voting
the same people into power at every election!
The message is clear though. Even as the President publicly declared
that it was “the time to heal wounds” and “open our arms in a gesture
of solidarity and fraternity with our Seychellois brothers and sisters,
irrespective of our opinions,” he was demanding we keep the status
quo.
The Presidential promise of “action” to deal with any dissatisfied
army personnel was equally clear. A new committee will soon build a
mess for retired and active servicemen and take care of their welfare
with the aim of ensuring they remain “loyal” and “respectful to their
superiors”.
The President’s idea of “peace”, “unity” and “reconciliation” in this
year of “hope for a better Seychelles” is focused on bringing “change
that will preserve his accomplishments”. His promise to make “fundamental and radical changes” leaves one wondering at the incongruity
of his words. “Change in peace, order and tranquility” that “will create
more opportunities and offer greater hope for all Seychellois” “in a climate of tolerance and respect” is intended to create “a society which is
ever more tolerant, with greater harmony, transparency, order, peace
and respect.” This is hard to imagine when half the population has
clearly said no to both him and his policies, even if he and the propaganda machine seem hell bent on pretending they don’t exist.
Deportation of Mauritian
lawyer
Controversy refuses
to die down
T
he controversy surrounding the deportation of
Mauritian lawyer Sanjay
Bhuckory from Seychelles on 27
December won’t go away as the
Mauritian press continues to talk
of “political machinations” to explain the lawyer’s treatment by
the Immigration department in
Seychelles.
Speaking to the press in Mauritius, Mr Bhuckory said the way
he was treated in Seychelles was
“deplorable. I have insisted that
my visit was a private one but I
have no doubt that the reason
they did not let me in was because of my good relations with
some lawyers in Seychelles”.
Reacting to claims made by the
Principal Secretary (PS) of the
ministry of Home Affairs, Michel
Marie in a press conference last
week, Mr Bhuckory told TODAY
that he denied Mr Marie’s allegations that “during the interrogation, I admitted to the immigration officers that I had come
for some ‘advisory work’. More
shocking is the claim that I allegedly did not provide the particulars of such advisory work!”, the
lawyer said. Commenting on Mr
Marie’s assertion that he knows
what he is doing since “he is an
officer of 13 years experience, I
could very well say that I am a
Senior Counsel of 31 years experience!”
While the 2015 Presidential
election in Seychelles and the
subsequent contest of the results
failed to garner much attention
in the neighbouring island, the
deportation of the lawyer has
only served to draw attention to
the current political situation in
the country.
The controversial Immigration decree.
Who cares?
Read the signs!
D
ay in and day out, drivers
ignore road traffic regulations in all impunity;
whether it’s parking on double
yellow lines or using their cell
phones while driving, not to men-
tion the ever popular art of drunk
driving, road users are awfully
lackadaisical when it comes the
respecting the law.
Another phenomenon driving
tourists and residents insane in
Parked where it’s not supposed to.
Beau Vallon is the persistence
of drivers to drive through the
No Entry promenade in front of
the Savoy hotel. The promenade
has been designed for pedestrians only and despite the signs
that clearly say No Entry and No
Parking, cars are seen daily doing
exactly the contrary! Perhaps a
couple of fines would act as a deterrent for those too lazy to walk
from the car park to the beach.
Didn’t the driver see the signs?
Wines
A bargain
Kreol Wines is offering you the opportunity to try out three of their new wines for the price of two bottles.
T
he celebrations are over but
you can still make a bargain
on some award-winning
wines sourced from independent
wineries from across the globe. At
Eden Island, head to Kreol Wines
at the Plaza where you can have
the opportunity to make a saving
by walking away with three bottles
of wine for the price of two. The offer is open until the end of January.
There are six different wines
from Argentina, Chile and Australia to choose from, starting at
SCR245, said Daniel Balkwill,
owner of Kreol Wines. The boutique wine shop prides itself on
its product knowledge and impartial advice about pairing food and
wine. Mr Balkwill explained, for
example, that the Argentinean Cabernet Sauvignon pairs well with
roast lamb, steaks and barbecued
A three for two deal is currently on at the wine shop.
Kreol Wines is located at Eden Plaza.
meats. The Sauvignon Blanc from
Chile, he said, would go well with
fish dishes. Also on offer is a Chardonnay, Pinot Noire and Rosé,
which he said were “all very nice
wines”.
Kreol Wines is passionate about
wines and searches the world to
bring the best quality products
to Seychelles at great prices. The
owners have officiated at international wine awards, namely The
Decanter World Wine awards, and
are up to date with the latest wine
selections from around the world.
If you wish to keep up-to-date with
their latest offers, look them up
online at www.kreolwines.com or
on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/KreolWines/
p3
Letter to the Editor
Disclaimer
The views and comments expressed are those of the writer and not necessarily those of this newspaper
A country’s destiny on trial
Dear Editor,
The debate at every street corner of our beloved island is centred
around the petitions for declaring
the last Presidential election void.
The legal team will be filing three
separate petitions structured in all
the necessary legal technicalities.
Every man and his dog about town
have their respective opinions as
to whether the trial will be fair and
free from quiet interference from
the ruling party. Whether judges will act as judges ought to or
will history be repeated and once
again deal a stacked hand against
the majority of this forsaken country.
Although formal election campaigning has now ceased, the
pointer measuring election fever
remains deep in the red scale. But
as we patiently await the dates for
the court hearing, the ruling party is doing their utmost to create
a veil of normality over our day to
day activities. And I look forward
to the expected spin that our Minister will have to come up with
when the subject of the famous
“Renaissance Sociale” is once
again packaged as the solution
to all our social ills. How is our
Minister going to tackle this small
matter? How is he now going to
act the saint and preach the gospel
of “Renaissance Sociale” values?
No doubt he will require to brush
his acting skills up! We all await
with earnest anticipation.
This trial is more than simply
a matter for the courts to deliberate and conclude. Our country’s
destiny is at stake. It will be a crucial stepping stone in how we will
measure the values and beliefs that
our future generation will have at
hand in shaping our future. What
template will the young leaders of
this country for them to emulate?
Unfortunately our recent history
since the coup of 1977 leaves much
to be desired in terms of example
for emulation.
As far as past political heads of
state are concerned, our country
has yet to find its version of Nelson
Mandela or have a meagre portion
of the qualities of the great Gandhi.
Fortunately the formation of Linion
Sanzman may be a timely platform
in providing an avenue for good men
and women to take on the clear and
present evil that overwhelms this
country. We have today the makings of what this country deserves
to take us from this very dark past.
It is not simply a question of gaining
power but a duty for all to cease this
opportunity and redirect our destiny. This country cannot survive on
self praise, on self appraisal, and a
constant overdose of spin, lies and
deceit. And voluntary respect of the
Constitution is where it all begins.
This country will start breathing
once we start culturing the notion
of self development as a priority, as
opposed to seeking the immediate
option of the begging bowl. And
certainly not as one politician calls
it, “the need for Seychelles to have
a godfather figure”. No sir, this is
not where this country will discover pride, self esteem and individual
well being. This is why we are where
we are today. It’s the poor vision of
our past leaders willing to be lured
towards the glitter of diamonds
whilst sacrificing the necessity to
first culture its people. We need to
be economical in all our endeavours,
cut waste. And finally we need not
simply do things right, but we need
to start doing the right things. As
a proud nation. As a hard working
society. As an honest and cultured
people.
This country is desperate for a
clean start. A clean moral slate. We
will watch the judges as they deliberate. We need no favours, but we
are also judges. This is the right of
every citizen. And we will judge.
We will judge if the verdict is a
verdict for Seychelles. If there was
ever a moment in our history that
a “Refreshed Seychelles” is due, it
is now.
God bless Seychelles.
Roy Fonseka
Letter to the Editor
About Bishop Wong’s interview
Dear Editor,
I refer to your recent interview
with Bishop James Wong.
You are right to refer to the Anglican bishop as “one of the most
vocal dignitaries in the country”,
but that does not give him the right
to either appoint himself as a judge
in a court case nor to interfere in
the democratic process in Seychelles under the guise of his socalled “political neutrality”, which
he is at pains to demonstrate and
yet fails miserably in the attempt.
His recent pronouncements are
proof – if indeed proof were needed
– that he has no credibility as a politically neutral “educator”, mindful
of the well-being of his flock and
the welfare of the people of Seychelles. His statements – loaded as
they are – make it obvious where
his political sympathies and affiliation lie.
With total disregard for the provisions of the Constitution, Bishop
Wong affirms that James Michel
should not have been sworn in as
President without the “clearance”
of the Electoral Commission and
the Constitutional Court, albeit
conceding grudgingly that Hendrick Gappy’s declaration that the
“winner was James Michel made
it ‘normal’ for James Michel to be
sworn in”. What Bishop Wong is
saying in essence is that the Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates of the Seychelles National
Party – incidentally, both adherents of the Anglican Communion –
were right in not accepting the will
of the majority of the people of Seychelles, and that Seychelles would
have been better off without a President and government until Messrs
Ramkalawan and Mancienne gave
their assent to them in due course,
if at all. The very thought that such
an eventuality would have plunged
the country into chaos and anarchy
does not seem to preoccupy Bishop
Wong in the least. Might it be that
he envisaged the establishment of
a theocracy in which he and his
colleague would have assumed the
role of President and Vice-President?
Of yet greater concern is the fact
that Bishop Wong has prejudged
the outcome of a court case, a fact
that is not only prejudicial to the
process and administration of justice in Seychelles but to his pastoral
charge and responsibilities. What if
the outcome of the court case were
not to be to the Bishop’s liking?
What if the Constitutional Court
were to “surprise” Bishop Wong
in not ordering a third round of
elections? Would he then call upon
those Seychellois who have not
voted for James Michel to seek “redress” for a “grave injustice” in the
streets of Victoria? Is that what we
are to expect from the Bishop of the
Anglican diocese of Seychelles?
Just as the Constitution of the
Republic of Seychelles makes provision for the separation of powers
between the three distinct branches of the State, so should Bishop
Wong be reminded that, unlike in
a theocracy, temporal matters are
best left to those who have been
elected by the people, and that
the spiritual leaders of our nation
should confine themselves to the
tasks for which they have been
anointed. Similarly, those in positions of authority and those who
profess to lead are expected not to
express their private opinions in
public, and are bound at all times
to observe a modicum of discretion
for fear of sowing dissention and
confusion amongst their followers.
Yours faithfully,
André J Mondon
Convicted murderer released in exchange for support to Parti Lepep?
Continued from page 1
court to declare the election
null and void and to order a third
ballot or subsequent ones until
such time one candidate received
more than 50% of the votes cast.
As was the case for the first petition, the second one is also being
served against three respondents
which are the Electoral Commission represented by its Chairman
Hendrick Gappy, James Michel,
the leader of Parti lepep and the
Attorney General, Ronny Govinden.
Mr Ramkalawan presented
over 20 affidavits to support his
claims that the Presidential runoff was marred by illegal practices. These included affidavits from
people who were approached and
offered large sums of money to
vote for the ruling party or who
were made offers that sought to
write off their loans as well as
those who were promised loans.
More specifically, the petition claims that over a thousand
letters from the Social Welfare
Agency offering supplementary
incomes to voters in order to induce them to vote for Parti Lepep, were also issued in the days
leading to the Presidential runoff.
Long queues were said to have
been observed at the agency’s office at Oceangate House.
The petition also claims that
opposition supporters who were
former government officials and
thus close to the ruling party,
were approached and offered
high positions in government
if they agreed to back Parti Lepep. The petition alleges that the
leader of Lalyans Seselwa, Patrick
Pillay was approached by former
President Albert Rene and offered a high post in government
if he gave his support to Parti
Lepep. Another supporter of
Lalyans Seselwa, Vincent Remie
Larue, was offered “a good post
in the government” if he agreed
to change political allegiance
while Peter Rodney Jules also
from Layans Seselwa was allegedly contacted by Sylvette Pool
and offered “anything he wanted,
including the writing off his loans
with the Small Business Finance
Agency, if he procured the vote of
former supporters of Parti Lepep
who had switched to the opposition”.
The petition also claims that
a former Lalyans Seselwa supporter from Roche Caimain,
Dania Valentin, who spoke in the
Party Political Broadcast (PPB)
of Lalyans Seselwa prior to the
first round and who subsequently
endorsed Parti Lepep in a PPB
during the second round, was
told her companion who was sentenced to life imprisonment and
who had served 15 years already,
would be freed if she switched
allegiance. According to the petition, her companion was indeed
released on the first day of polling of the second round, on December 16. This was a couple of
days after she agreed to feature in
James Michel’s PPB.
The election petition further
claims that the authorities used
scaremongering tactics to threaten the electorate into voting for
the ruling party, including threats
that UAE-based airline, Etihad
Airways, the minority shareholder of the national airline Air
Seychelles, will pull out of its
commitment in Seychelles in the
eventuality of a victory of the opposition and that this would lead
to loss of jobs and economic hardship for Seychelles.
The case of the Speaker of the
National Assembly, Patrick Herminie who sought to engage into
party politics during the cooling
off period was also mentioned.
He told viewers of the Seychelles
Broadcasting Corporation (SBC)
that hardships would ensue if Mr
Ramkalawan were to be elected
President, as he would not get
the support of a Parti Lepep-led
National Assembly. He said the
National Assembly would block
any budget presented to the National Assembly by an SNP-led
government, therefore leading to
“shutdown”.
The petition also states that
scaremongering also targeted
civil servants, as they were told
they would lose their jobs if they
did not keep Parti Lepep in power. The name of Beryl Botsoie,
the head teacher of La Rosiere
School was cited. This woman,
in a school meeting in the days
leading to the second ballot, accused SNP leader of arrogance
and invited voters not to vote for
him “and warned them that if the
petitioner (Ed’s note: Mr Ramkalawan) was elected, they risked
their livelihoods in general and
in particular they won’t be paid
as the new government would be
unlikely to pass a budget”.
A similar incident was also recorded at a meeting of the Seychelles People’s Defense Forces
(SPSD) officers on December 11
2015 where top military personnel including Lt Colonel Clifford
Roseline, Reverend Louis Agathine, the SPDF’s chaplain and
Major Simon Dine, Coast Guard
Commander, accused Mr Ramkalawan “of arrogance, selfishness
and being disorderly, or making
empty promises and clearly inviting the members of the SPDF not
to vote for him”.
The election petition adds
that National Drug Enforcement
Agency (NDEA) officers also
abused their position on December 18, which was main polling
day, where they were seen in areas knows to be drug hotspots, to
intimidate drug users and prevent them from going to the polls.
Businessman, James Lesperance’s name is also cited in the
petition which avers that he paid
money to Adolphe Jason Dubel,
Ron Philippe Laporte and Steve
Elie Labrosse and 12 other young
men, “in return for their identity
cards so as to prevent them from
voting during the second ballot”.
With regards to irregularities
in the counting of ballot papers,
the petition claims that votes
cast in special voting stations did
not tally with seven polling stations in electoral areas, showing
a discrepancy “amounting to nine
votes, two fewer and seven extra”.
These electoral areas were Anse
Boileau, Au Cap, Anse Etoile, Bel
Air, English River, Glacis and
Pointe Larue. For instance, 259
residents of English River had
voted at the special polling stations ahead of the main polling
day and yet, three extra enveloped were added to the ballot
boxes, bringing the total number
to 262!
There were also discrepancies
in three other polling stations
where the number of votes counted did not tally with the number
of ballots issued; these were Anse
aux Pins Cascade and Glacis. Mr
Ramkalawan said the Electoral
Commission “has not been able
to satisfactorily explain” these
discrepancies. The petition also
claims that in Anse aux Pins, two
ballot papers were marked by
ballpoint ink instead of the black
marker supplied to voters.
The Election petition also cites
a number of cases of non-compliance to the Elections Act by the
Electoral Commission. It states
the commission failed to ensure
that the ink and invisible spray
used were of good quality. Furthermore it failed to ensure that
each voter could only cast one
vote as it allowed a special voting
station at the National Library on
the main polling day on December 18th and could not satisfactorily verify whether people had
voted more than once.
Mr Ramkalawan also states
that at least “two unknown persons voted in the special polling
station in the names of Damion
Charles Hoareau and Stan Nerick
Fanchette, both voters registered
in the Inner islands electoral
area”.
It said that the Electoral Commission also failed to prevent the
“withholding of Identity cards
by staff of the North East Point
Home for the Elderly and coaching of elderly voters by the Acting
nursing sister at the Home”.
The election petition will be
served on the three respondents
this week, and the case is expected to be heard as soon as the
Constitutional Court resumes its
session next Monday.
The result of the presidential
runoff was declared on December
19, giving SNP, 49.85% of the total votes cast and 50.15% to Parti
Lepep, something the opposition
is saying is factually incorrect.
There were 63,893 votes cast in
the second round, with 62,831
valid votes and 1062 votes rejected.
p4
Sports awards
Mervin Dugasse named best bodybuilder ahead of Mr Seychelles
Football federation yet to name best players of 2015.
BY: AH
Karting: (male) Jack Payet,
Dharmil Shakida; (female) Liza
Rene-Cosgrow, Samantha Labrosse; (junior) Lopes Anacoura, Louisa Lafortune.
W
ith the sports awards
ceremony taking place
later this month most
sports federations and associations have already named their
male, female and junior best athletes for 2015.
But a few of them are yet to
name their best performers for
last year and including the football federation. Its secretary general, Jemmy Adela, told TODAY
Sports that they will make the announcement by Thursday.
One of the most striking announcements has been in bodybuilding with up and coming
bodybuilder Mervin Dugasse
being named as the best of 2015
ahead of Ziad Mekdachi who recently won the Mr. Seychelles title
ahead of Dugasse. This is the first
time in many years that Mekdachi
has been beaten to this title.
The chairman of the bodybuilding association Regis Delorie said
that this was a decision taken by
the executive committee. They
took into consideration the performances of the athletes during the whole year and not one
competition only. Dugasse who
improved a lot last year won the
local bodybuilding championship
which was the first competition
for the year. He also finished third
overall at the Eric Favre Grand
Prix in Rodrigues in late last
year. At the same competition he
won the 90kg category and won
the prize of best abs. And he finished second behind Mekdachi at
the Mr. Seychelles contest. Apart
from winning the Mr. Seychelles
contest, Mekdachi also finished in
ninth place at the Arnold World
Classic in Spain in October last
year.
Otherwise there have not been
any major surprises as the federations and associations announced
their best for 2015.
Karate: (male) Bernard Theresine, Bernard Cafrine; (female)
Shujetha Chettiar, Stephanie De
Letourdie; (junior) Jartin Andre,
Maia Suleman.
Netball: Flossy Bonnelame.
Petanque: (male) Roland Renaud, Raj Jhvgroo; (female) Marie-May Savy, Linda Bertin.
Swimming: (male) Steven Mangroo, Adam Viktora; (female) Alexus Laird, Felicite Passon. (junior)
Samuel Rossi, Felicite Passon.
Table Tennis: (male) Nicholas
Esther, Godfrey Sultan, (female)
Annissa Benstrong. Laura Sinon;
(junior) Nicholas Esther, Zahira
Khattab.
Tennis: (male) Damien Laporte,
Stefan Romain; (female) Fatime
Kante, Sarah Rene; (junior) Damien Laporte.
Mervin Dugasse (right) beat Ziad Mekdachi for the title of best bodybuilder 2015.
Athletics: (male) Jude Sidonie, Neddy Marie; (female) Lissa Labiche, Athina Freminot;
and ( junior) Noris Brioche, Natacha Chetty
Badminton: (male) Georgie
Cupidon, Steve Malcouzane;
(female) Juliette Ah-Wan, Alisen Camille; ( junior) Fabien
Gerry, Ginessa Ravinia.
Basketball: (male) Ron Estico, Arnaud Arissol; (female)
Veena Panagary, Jana Mal-
brook; ( junior) Taryll Hall, Sarah Rose.
Bodybuilding: Mervin Dugasse, Ziad Mekdachi.
Boxing: (male) Keddy Agnes;
( junior) Lorenzo Bonne.
Canoeing: Tony Lespoire;
( junior) Pascal Fred.
Chess:
(male)
Benjamin
Hoareau; (female) Dericka Figaro; ( junior) Samuel Nalletamby, Lila Adeline.
Cycling: Ahmad Arissol, Dominic Arrisol; (junior) Fadi Confiance.
Cricket: S.M Kalvin Deso.
Darts: (male) Nichol Esparon,
Terence Hallock; (female) Monia
Delpeche, Thara Boniface.
Dominos: (male) Brian Fanchette, Mamod Essack; (female)
Marylianne Nolin, Maggy Ernesta.
Gymnastics: (male) Spartercuss
Nalletamby; (female) Jolene Mondon.
Hockey: (male) Dan Dubignon;
(female) Mandy Joubert.
Volleyball: (male) Ian Furneau,
Shaine Farabeau ; (female) Jerina
Bonne, Marielle Bonne ; (junior)
Jean-Yves Accouche, Camilla Francourt.
Weightlifting: (male) Steven
Baccus, Rick Confiance; (female)
Clementina Agricole, Janet Georges.
Handball: (male) Paolo Moustache, Dave Bonnelame; (female)
Sheila Marie, Vanessa Barbe; (junior) Kieran Jean, Kursha Loizeau.
Windsurfing: Jean-Marc Gardette, Bertrand Lablache.
Sailing: (male) Rodney Govinden, Allan Julie; (female) Alison
Hoareau, Meggy Gertrude; (junior) Scott Andre.
Judo: (male) Lionel Savy, Dominic Dugasse; (female) Brigitte
Rose, Marie-Anette Vidot; (junior)
Nantenaina Finesse, Julie Ernesta.
Disabled: (male) Bernard Larue,
Richard Sophola; (female) Stephanie Mondon, Vanessa Fred.
Weightlifting
Mauritius loses one of
its young stars
Ivan Pierrot dies in tragic car accident.
BY: AH
T
he Mauritian sports community and the weightlifting
association in particular are
mourning the passing away of 19
year-old weightlifter Yvan Pierrot
following a tragic car accident.
In a letter informing the African
Weightlifting Federation of the
tragic news, the president of the
Mauritian Weightlifting Association, Poorun Bhollah, said that the
Mauritian weightlifting family and
sports community are devastated
by this loss.
Pierrot was one of the most successful young Mauritian athletes in
2015. He won three gold medals at
the Indian Ocean Games in Reunion, two bronze medals at the All
Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville
and one gold in the junior category and a silver medal in the senior
category at the Commonwealth
Championship in Pune India.
His mother Preschilla Carreau
is also a member of the executive committee of the Mauritian
Weightlifting Association and ac-
cording to Mr. Bhollah she is inconsolable.
In a mail to the Mauritian
weightlifting association, the head
of Africa Weightlifting Federation,
Khaled Mhalhel, said that they are
saddened by this tragic news and
sent their condolences to the Mauritian weightlifting family at this
sudden demise of one of the country’s best male lifter at only 19 years.
TODAY Sports sends its condolences to the Mauritian weightlifting federation and Mr Pierrot’s
family for their tragic loss.
Yvan Pierrot (L) proudly displays his three gold medals with coach Ravi Bhollah at the last IOIG in Reunion.
p5
Wednesday 6 January, 2016
Courtside with Alain Alcindor
“Most kids these days do not know how to swim”
The director for water sports and chairman of the yachting association talks about the challenges facing water sports in Seychelles - the strength of
our sailors and dangers facing windsurfing– and, especially, why each and every Seychellois kid should learn to swim
his last Olympics after which he will be
available to share his experience with the
other youngsters. So I think that canoeing
has a bright future.
How do you juggle your responsibilities
as director of water sports, head of the
yachting association, secretary general of
the Seychelles Olympics and Commonwealth Games Association and being active sailing coach?
This is where the challenge lies: for my
two water sport posts, I need more committed people. My main problem is that
I do not get enough help from people
who are committed. It is difficult to do
everything myself. For example, I have to
go out to sea three times a week to coach
a group of young sailors and this does not
leave me with much time for administrative work. If we could have more people
willing to help I think that water sports
would be able to move forward. We have
qualified for the Olympics several times,
meaning we do have the potential, and
I think we can do even better if we work
together. The main issue is the lack of
commitment. For instance, I never face
any problem with the kids I work with
because, when I engage myself in doing
something I do it all the way, and that is
what is missing in Seychelles.
But we also have to make sure that we
do not work in isolation, we have to constantly keep track of the trends on the
African continent. For example, after
much fighting Africa has been awarded
the chance of hosting Olympics qualifying
competitions and that is a big boost for
the sailors and windsurfers because they
now know that if they work hard they will
have a better chance of qualifying for the
Olympics. I am also the secretary general
of the African Confederation and I know
that the African target is to ensure that the
continent is represented in the maximum
number of classes. We have to constantly be on the lookout because most of the
classes tend to change every four years.
The main problem in Africa is the lack
of funds. We cannot invest in something
that will last only four years and then it
becomes a white elephant.
BY AH
How would you describe the now defunct 2015?
Generally speaking, for both sailing
and swimming we have done quite well.
On the swimming side we have Alexus
Laird living in the US who has swum the
100-metre backstroke in a time which
is equivalent to a B qualifying time. But
for these coming Olympics, the International Olympics Committee has changed
its qualifying format for both swimming
and athletics and given quotas for the two
events. They will take all those who have
qualified with A times and after that they
will go down to look at those with B times.
But at least she has reached this high
standard and she still has time between
now and the Olympics because the qualifying process ends in June so she has another six months to qualify.
Looking at the competitions we have
taken part in, for the Indian Ocean Games
we had sailing and swimming and I think
the performances were good; even with
the difficulties we faced in Reunion we
managed to win two gold medals in sailing. We did fairly well in swimming as
well based on the fact that we had a young
team and that it was their first experience
in a big event. In Africa, Laird won medals
in swimming. As for sailing we did not go
to the All Africa Games, but we went to the
African championship and we have two
sailors who have qualified for the Olympic
Games in Rio next year. So it shows that
2015 was a good year for water sports.
And how did things go locally?
In swimming, the association managed
to hold all of the competitions on its calendar. One was even held on Praslin to conclude the season. In sailing we managed to
complete most of our competitions, even
if in windsurfing there were times when
the wind let us down and we had to cancel some competitions. This is because we
are no longer using the formula board, but
fun or slalom boards instead. When there
was wind the races took place. The windsurfers also participated in a competition
in Mauritius where their performances
improved compared to the previous year.
As a country surrounded by the sea,
do you think there is enough interest
in sailing and windsurfing, especially
amongst the youth, in Seychelles?
For sailing, yes - the Sails Training
Scheme helps a lot in developing young
talent. And once they have qualified we
absorb them into the association; this allows us to have young sailors to replace
those retiring. We are concerned about
windsurfing however, because there are
no replacements for those who are retiring.
For sailing, we have established a pathway; we cannot afford to take in too many
young sailors but we have to concentrate
on quality. First of all, we do not have
enough funds as we do not generate any
revenue in this sport and thus we rely on
sponsors and a subvention from the National Sports Council as well as from the
Olympic Committee. So the kids start in
Optimists, then move onto Lasers and can
then diversify into other areas of the sport.
As for windsurfing, if you want to reach
a high level there is only the Olympics. You
also have fun board but this won’t take you
to the Olympics. If we want to go to the
Olympics there is only one class you can
take part in and that is a big problem not
only for Seychelles but worldwide. That is
why kitesurfing is becoming popular and,
frankly speaking, the number of people
doing kitesurf has overtaken those doing
windsurfing. Now kitesurf is trying to get
into the Olympics. It was on the list of
Olympic sports events but was removed
three years ago. So now we have to wait to
see what will happen next.
So it is a dilemma: if we go and invest
in RSX and then in four years’ time we are
told that they have phased out this board.
It will turn into the same situation as with
the Mistral when people invested in it. It
was in the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympics
and after that it was phased out and in
came RSX. So RSX was in the Olympics in
2008, 20012 and will be again in 2016. At
the moment its future is not guaranteed
and probably kitesurfing will take over.
The decision will be taken in November
next year because we will then have the
elections for the international body and
the equipment selections for the 2020
Olympics. This in effect affects our development, especially in windsurfing. As
for Laser we are guaranteed that it will be
around for many more years. We cannot
just go out and buy RSX boards and then
after a while stop using them. We went
through the same situations with the Mistral boards.
Does the association provide all the
necessary equipment?
Yes, we provide all sailing and windsurfing equipment and the initial investment
that we have to do will be a big one so we
have to be very careful.
Are you telling us that we do not have
that many windsurfers at the moment?
Yes. Most surfers do not want to use this
type of board. It is a bit like the fun board
except that it has a centre board. So when
a surfer has moved from windsurf to fun
board it is very difficult for him to go back
to RSX. And even at the African championship, many who failed to qualify for the
Olympics said that they won’t be surfing
anymore and will do something else. The
history of the board is that the international federation wanted a board that can
sail in low winds. The formula board did
not have a center board, so it was difficult
when there was no wind. As a result, they
organised a trial between all the windsurf-
ing companies and in the end they failed
to choose one particular board. The then
president of the international federation,
the Canadian Paul Anderson, contacted a
company called NeilPryde and told them
to design a board and gave them the particular specifications, and that is how it
came about. So my association is waiting
and by next year we will know what direction windsurfing is taking.
But the Sails Training Scheme will continue to teach windsurfing but for those
wishing to take up this sport, they will
have to know that they probably won’t be
able to go all the way to the Olympics.
Are you satisfied that water sports in
Seychelles are up to the required level?
There are two ways to answer this question. Personally, I think we should have
reached much further by now, but we have
to be realistic with the resources we have.
We should have been in a better position
because we are surrounded by the sea,
government gives facilities for children to
learn to sail and windsurf. On the other
hand, we have a problem in that most kids
these days do not know how to swim. We
cannot take the risk to work with kids who
do not know how to swim and so the number of kids we have to work with is limited. Secondly, those we have mostly live
around our main training center. This is
because by the time we finish training - at
around 5.30pm – it is a problem for kids
who live in the South or West to get home
if the parents don’t pick them up. These
are the constraints we face. I personally
feel that we should be at a much higher
level by now if we had maybe a bit more
investment in the sport.
A few years back, a project was
launched to teach all schoolchildren to
swim. What happened to it?
It is still government’s policy that all
children over ten years of age must learn
to swim. We started the programme at the
swimming pool and now with the opening
of the Praslin pool, more children will be
able to learn to swim. But again, we need
resources. We had an expert who came to
Seychelles through the Olympic Committee and he drafted a good programme but
we need funds to be able to carry out this
policy and we also need human resources.
We do not have that many people who can
teach others to swim and this also applies
to sailing. I remember when I used to sail;
most of the time after school I voluntarily
gave my time to teach children how to sail
and in return we were able to use the boats
for free. These days the boats are still free
of charge but we don’t have enough people
to give a helping hand. We cannot rely on
employed people because they will only
be available from around 4.30pm and we
cannot ask schoolchildren to wait from
2.30pm to 4.30pm to start a class. We
have discussed a few things with our staff
and one of these is to restart our mobile
services with the possibility of going to
Anse Royale beach, Praslin and even Beau
Vallon as well because we used do canoeing there. So we will try to bring sailing,
windsurfing and canoeing to the South of
Mahé.
What is happening with canoeing?
We have not heard much about the
sport lately.
It is still alive and doing quite well. We
have many children learning canoeing
currently. We had a problem because after
learning to canoe they wanted to race but
we did not have the equipment. We have
just received a batch of canoes so we are
hoping we will have more kids who will
continue in this sport. Plus we have Tony
Lespoir who is attempting to qualify for
So how do you manage your time with
all those responsibilities?
All my time is spent in sports and I have
brought my family into sports. Our family
life revolves around sports. But you have
to have the passion and be ready to give
all your time to it; my family understands
what I am doing and they are involved in
it. My son is sailing in the Optimist category; my wife is the secretary of the association and this helps the association to move
forward. At the Olympic committee, we do
as much as possible with the staff we have.
Some people tell me this is a job but for me
I see it as my passion.
So where did your passion for water
sports come from?
My father was a fisherman so I was always at the seaside as a kid. During my
time at college I joined the scout movement with Sir Gonthier and we were based
at the current Deepam cinema. That was
in 1977 and at the same time the Sails
Training Scheme was set up. There was a
first group of sailors with people like Alex
August and I managed to get in to the second group in 1978. That’s when I started
sailing and I’ve never stopped.
Any last message?
First of all, let us not waste this opportunity with the facilities that have been put
at our disposal. The classes are mostly free,
we charge only SCR200 per term, which is
minimal. And if you decide to start after
reaching 18 years of age you have to pay
the full fee. So my message is to make the
most of this opportunity and to come and
learn to sail and surf. As for swimming
there are classes after school for kids. They
only cost SCR200 rupees for 12 sessions
over six weeks. We must make the most of
the fact that we are surrounded by the sea.
p6
Dakar Rally rookie Loeb
wins second stage
S
ebastien Loeb, the record ninetimes rally world champion,
won the second stage of the
Dakar Rally on Monday. Loeb, a
newcomer to the Dakar Rally at age
41, covered the 387-kilometre route
between Villa Carlos Paz and Termas
de Rio Hondo in his Peugeot in three
hours, 45 minutes and 46 seconds.
The time put him 2 minutes and
23 seconds ahead of his teammate
Stephane Peter Handel. Bad weather
conditions forced organizers to shortened the course on Monday. The first
stage on Sunday was completely cancelled due to heavy rain. Thirteen
people were injured Saturday in a
prologue stage when Chinese racer
Guo Meiling lost control of his car
and rammed into spectators.
The 38th Dakar Rally is a 13-stage
race over 9,000 kilometres of terrain
through Argentina and Bolivia.
Andy Murray, Heather
Watson win mixed
doubles decider
G
reat Britain sealed a 2-1 win
over their French counterparts in the Hopman Cup
earlier today thanks to a 6-2 5-7 10-6
victory in the mixed doubles. Andy
Murray put the Brits 1-0 up with a
6-2 6-2 win over Kenny De Schepper earlier in the day, but they were
pegged back after Heather Watson
lost in three sets to Caroline Garcia.
However, Murray and Watson
then joined forces in Perth to book
Britain’s place in the next round.
The duo will next be in action on
Wednesday against the Australian Green team that is made up of
Nick Kyrgios and Daria Gavrilova.
Murray, 28, reached the final of the
competition in 2010 when he played
alongside Laura Robson.
La Liga
Manchester United
Rafael Benítez sacked by Real Madrid
Manchester United’s
with Zinedine Zidane taking over
style of play criticised by
Benítez sacked after only seven months in charge of Real Madrid
chief executive of Adidas
Adidas began 10-year deal with United last summer,
worth £750m
M
anchester United’s style
of play under Louis van
Gaal has been criticised
by the chief executive of Adidas,
who signed a £750m kit sponsorship deal with the club last summer.
United ended a run of eight
matches without a victory with
the 2-1 win over Swansea on Saturday and despite widespread
criticism for a stagnant style of
play, Van Gaal claimed afterwards
that in their last two matches –
also including the goalless draw
against Chelsea – his side had
adopted a riskier approach.
Nonetheless, Manchester Unit-
ed have scored just 12 goals at
home this season and Van Gaal’s
position remains precarious
with the club currently in fifth
place and out of the Champions
League. The comments made by
Herbert Hainer, whose company
agreed a 10-year deal to replace
Nike as Manchester United’s kit
sponsor last summer, will not
have helped.
“Business with Man United is
going very well, we sell more shirts
than expected,” he told the newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung. “We
are satisfied … even if the current
playing style of Man United is not
exactly what we want to see.”
Herbert Hainer, the chief executive of Adidas, says business with Man Utd
is prospering but their style of play is ‘not exactly what we want to see’.
R
eal Madrid have sacked coach
Rafa Benitez after less than
half a season in charge and
promoted their former France great
Zinedine Zidane from the B team to
replace him, president Florentino
Perez said on Monday.
Perez announced the dismissal of
the experienced Benitez, who had a
contract until June 2018, following a
board meeting and Zidane was present at the president’s news conference at the Bernabeu stadium.
“Firstly I would like to thank the
club and the president for giving me
the chance to coach this team,” Zidane, known as ‘Zizou’ and a hero to
Real’s fans, told reporters.
“What we need to do now, and
what I will try to do, is try to do my
best so that this team is a winner
at the end of the season,” added the
43-year-old, one of the club’s youngest-ever coaches.
“The important thing is to be with
the team tomorrow and start work,”
he said.
“I will put all the heart I have into
the job for this club and try to make
sure things work out well.”
ELEVENTH COACH
Real did not immediately specify
the length of Zidane’s contract.
He is the 11th coach Perez has installed during two terms in charge
and it will be the former France
captain’s first top-flight management job. He played for Real for five
seasons after joining from Juventus
in August 2001 and helped them
win their ninth European crown
with a stunning volley against Bayer
Leverkusen in the 2002 Champions
League final.
Perez, who has publicly backed
Benitez in recent weeks, said it had
been a difficult decision to sack him.
He said Zidane had always tackled the biggest challenges in football
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez announced ciub legend
Zinedine Zidane as Benitez’s replacement.
with “talent and dedication” and noted that the Frenchman knew many
of the players well from his role as
assistant coach under Benitez’s predecessor Carlo Ancelotti.
“You have all our confidence and
support so our fans can be excited
and entertained in every match,”
Perez told Zidane, who won the
World Cup and European Championship as a player.
He retired from international
football after the 2006 World Cup,
having been sent off in the final for
headbutting Italy defender Marco
Materazzi. France lost on penalties.
DISGRUNTLED FANS
Benitez, a former Valencia, Liverpool, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Napoli manager who began his coaching career in Real’s youth ranks,
replaced Ancelotti after the Italian
was sacked in June.
Real have failed to find the level of
consistency Perez demands, however, and there have been widespread
reports Benitez does not get on with
some of Real’s key players like Cristiano Ronaldo and James Rodriguez.
Disgruntled fans have been whistling Benitez at the Bernabeu in recent months and he also appears to
have been blamed for Real’s expulsion from the King’s Cup last month
for fielding an ineligible player.
Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Valencia,
when Real twice surrendered the
lead, left them third in the standings,
four points behind leaders Atletico
Madrid and two behind champions
Barcelona, who have a game in hand.
p7
Retail
Open… actually
The Ramajayam and Raha supermarket chain stores owned by the Pillay R Group, and the Mohan Shopping Centre kept their doors open throughout the New Year period despite
the popular practice followed by many of closing for the holidays. Here’s why and how.
D
The Ramajayam stores across Mahé remained open during the New Year period.
uring the New Year
period, many customers and tourists alike
found themselves searching
for a place to buy basic groceries. In the days leading up to
and following New Year’s Day,
many mini markets and grocery
stores were closed for the holidays.
A few branches of mini markets thankfully came to the
rescue: the Ramajayam and
Raha supermarket chain stores
owned by the Pillay R Group,
and the Mohan Shopping Center remained open during the
New Year period to service both
locals and tourists who needed
to replenish supplies and fill
their fridges.
There are a total of six Ramajayam outlets (five on Mahé
and one on Praslin) all of which
remained open. The Raha Supermarket located at the Mahé
airport also remained open.
The general manager of purchasing and global sourcing of
Pillay R Group, D.V Sharma,
explained that a dedicated team
made this feat possible. “A supermarket is so important for
customers. Our policy is to have
365 working days, which makes
more sense with the type of services we are providing. We also
make sure we do not close during lunch hours. Management
sends the manpower to achieve
this, even if we had a little less
staff during the festive season.”
Customers said the promotion at Docklands is useful for products they
tend to buy in bulk such as dairy products.
While it may be habitual for
shopkeepers and employees to
take leave during the New Year
period, the Ramajayam stores
remained open until as late as
10pm on New Year’s Eve, and
then again in the early hours of
7am on New Year’s Day before
closing at 3pm. They continued to extend their services on
January 2, opening at 8am and
closing at 8pm in the evening,
despite it being a public holiday. On Sunday they closed at
2pm.
He also noted that while many
shops may not see the use in remaining open during the festive
season, they could be depriving
customers of the basic necessities they need– things which
are used on a daily basis, such
as milk or oil.
Local shopkeepers may also
take for granted that everyone knows the different shops’
working hours and are used
to places being closed during
that time, forgetting that tourists may be confused as to why
everything is closed when they
desperately need to purchase a
commodity.
“We took into account that
a few cruise ships were here
for holiday. There were about
1,000 tourists from one cruise
ship alone. We did not want
the tourists on those ships to
feel like everything was closed
and that they could not find
what they were looking for. We
wanted to leave a good impression on them, and give them a
good image of Seychelles”, Mr.
Sharma explained.
A French saying states that
“le client est roi” (the client is
king). This is a motto that other
stores adhered to over the New
Year. The Kannus Supermar-
kets also remained open during
that period even if the manager
was not available for comment.
The Mohan Shopping Center manager, Deepa Chetty,
also spoke to TODAY, sharing
her frustration about different
stores being closed when they
are needed the most – this was
very much felt on La Digue, she
said.
“I was on La Digue during
the New Year period and it
was hard to even get a bottle
of drinking water! Everything
was closed. Restaurants were
open of course, but not shops.
On Saturday afternoon (January 2), only one small shop was
open. At least on Mahé it was
not so bad.”
The Mohan Shopping Center
on Mahé remained open pre
and post New Year, and Mrs.
Chetty said business was good
on those days.
“It was pretty much the same,
although quite busy because all
the other shops were closed. I
did note that more alcohol was
sold, and also some last minute
presents. We were also short on
staff but made it a must to remain open”, she explained.
Eliza, a resident of Beau Vallon who usually shops at the
STC Hypermarket, told TODAY that during the New Year
period it was tricky to go shopping because the hypermarket
had announced that it would
be closed in the days following
the New Year. She noted that
the mini markets in her vicinity
came in handy.
Some of the stores went as far
as to offer special promotions
in addition to being open during the New Year period. The
Ramajayam Docklands Supermarket currently has an ongoing promotion called “Crazy
6”, which gives customers one
free item after purchasing six
or more of the same product.
They also have reduced prices
on certain products such as
washing powder, sunflower oil,
juice, and sugar, among others.
“We are very happy with the
response we are getting from
customers so far”, Mr. Sharma
said. “This is an experimental
concept used a lot in Mauritius,
and we wanted to test it here.
So far it has great success.”
The promotion, which began
during the Christmas season on
December 21, gives everyone a
chance to benefit from sales after all other shops have stopped
offering special packages and
reduced prices on items post
Christmas.
Hosting promotions during
this time is also a way to create some educational product
servicing: shopping during the
New Year period is a family affair, especially with schools being on holiday, and marketers
can use this time to educate
customers on the best products
and what can suit their needs.
“We make a point to not just
sell but also educate on product
servicing. Right now we have
introduced flavored milk to our
shelves, which is great for children”, Mr. Sharma explained.
“When you talk to customers,
and remain open, it shows that
you need them – which we do.
Even during the Christmas period, I was working at Docklands until 9.30pm on Christmas eve, speaking to clients.”
The “Crazy 6” promotion at
the Ramajayam Docklands Supermarket will continue until
January 21.
The Crazy 6 promotion at Docklands is very popular among customers
at the moment.
p8
H Resort Beau Vallon Beach
Meeting Santa
The resort in Beau Vallon invited children to a Christmas Tree lighting where Santa Claus surprised them with an unexpected visit!
which stood at an impressive eight
metres and was colourfully decorated with some 1,200 gold and red
baubles.
And then, all of a sudden, with
a flash of his magical wand, supported by a fulsome countdown
from the guests, Santa tapped two
golden bells and the tree was illuminated, to the applause of the delighted guests!
With mums and dads looking on,
whilst enjoying some mulled wine,
egg nog and Christmas-themed
cookies, the kids waited in anticipa-
tion to meet Santa and receive their
Christmas present.
Dominique Richard-Herbert, the
general manager (GM) of The H
Resort said that “we at The H Resort like to do things a bit differently, and inviting all these kids along
tonight to meet Father Christmas
was a magical moment for all of
us to see all these young, smiling,
happy faces’’. He went on to add
that “it is one of the ways that we
like to thank our partners, such as
the STB and the DMC’s by hosting
events such as this one”.
And who is that? Santa of course!
T
he H Resort Beau Vallon
Beach, pulled-off the ultimate early surprise two
weeks ago by organising a visit
from the most popular person in
the world during the festive season
- Santa Claus himself - to mark the
resort’s first Christmas.
The event saw some 300 guests,
of which, 150 bright eyed, excited
children who got to meet their hero
and receive an early Christmas gift.
Santa and his four elves, were
serenaded upon arrival in his magical sleigh with carols by local Seychellois choral group, Christmas
Harmonies. Santa then moved
through the lobby towards the tree,
Some 300 guests witnessed the tree lighting ceremony.
A huge Christmas tree that delighted the kids.
p9
Festive season
Bringing some joy to girls from La Solitude orphanage
The Soroptimist Club of Seychelles treated the young girls from “La Solitude” orphanage to some shopping and entertainment in town before Christmas. This initiative demonstrated the care and support young girls often need to feel that they are valued.
T
Members of Soroptimist Club Seychelles eating pizza with the girls at STC hypermarket.
he end of year period is
characterized as a time
of giving –
presents,
treats, and food help everyone
enjoy the festive season every
year. For some however, it is not
always a given.
This year, the Soroptimist
Club took the secondary school
girls from “La Solitude” orphanage in La Misère for some
shopping time at the STC hypermarket.
On December 23, the seven
girls accompanied by two nuns
and five members of the Soroptimist Club Seychelles arrived
in town in the late afternoon,
where they were first invited to
listen to a Christmas carol concert at the STC hypermarket
performed by the Music and
Choral Society directed by Mr.
D. Andre.
After the performance, the
girls were given an allowance
to shop for their presents. So-
roptimist Chairperson Cecil
Hodoul told TODAY that the
girls “were thrilled to be able
to buy whatever they wanted.
Once their shopping was over,
we had dinner together at the
restaurant of the hypermarket.”
They ended the day’s activities
with a drive around Victoria
to see the beautiful Christmas
lights. “They were so pleased”,
Ms. Hodoul added. “They had
not yet been to town at night.
One girl mentioned that they
had no Christmas decorations
in their orphanage, so the next
day we bought them some
Christmas lights and decorations.”
“La Solitude” is an all-girls
orphanage in La Misère, which
is run by the nuns of St. Elizabeth’s church. While some are
orphans, others are teenage
girls whose parents have social
problems and cannot take care
of them without assistance.
“The Soroptimist Club wanted
to give them something a bit
different this Christmas, and
more importantly to show them
that there are people around
who care for them, and want
them to progress,” Ms. Hodoul
said.
The Soroptimist Club is involved in a number of charity
events and initiatives in addition to its main purpose - raising awareness on cancer-related issues in women and young
girls. Aside from the shopping
day with teenagers, the club’s
most recent initiatives included
funding materials for the University of Seychelles’ new laboratory.
The girls from La Solitude out for some Christmas shopping at STC with
members of the Soroptimist Club Seychelles.
p10
Opinion
The Saudi execution will reverberate across the Muslim world
Islamic sectarianism has been inflamed. Expect a hardening of positions in Syria, Iraq and beyond
Brian Whitaker, The Guardian
S
audi Arabia’s execution of
Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a
prominent Shia cleric, on
Saturday was an act motivated
more by politics than judicial
considerations. Although in a
BBC interview William Patey –
a former British ambassador in
Riyadh – charitably described
Nimr’s killing as a Saudi “miscalculation”, the consequences so
far have been totally predictable.
In Iran, the headquarters of
Shia Islam, demonstrators set
fire to the Saudi embassy while
the authorities turned a blind
eye, and the Saudis have now responded by severing diplomatic
relations. Bahrain quickly followed suit and the UAE downgraded its relations too. The
execution has also triggered
demonstrations among Shia
communities elsewhere – including Bahrain, where the Shia majority is ruled by a Sunni minority.
More seriously, but no less predictably, the inflaming of sectarianism will have knock-on effects in Syria and Iraq. In Syria,
where Saudi Arabia backs Sunni
Islamists and Iran is supporting
President Assad, we can expect a
hardening of positions at a time
when international peace efforts
are aimed at softening them and
starting a dialogue.
Ditto with Iraq. As Patey put
it in his interview: “If you are
trying to repair the Sunni-Shia
split in Iraq in order to have a
united front against Daesh, this
will make life a bit more difficult.” Interestingly, just a day
before Nimr’s execution Saudi
Arabia reopened its embassy in
Baghdad after a 25-year break.
While this was formally hailed
as the start of a new era in cooperation, some see it as an attempt
to counter Iranian influence in
Iraq and establish an unofficial
mouthpiece for Iraqi Sunnis in
Baghdad.
It may also be worth recalling
that nine Qatari royals disappeared in Iraq last month, apparently kidnapped while hunting
with falcons. An unconfirmed
report by Erem News, an Emirati website, claimed that their
captors were seeking to exchange
them for Nimr al-Nimr.
Saudi-Iranian rivalries have
deep roots, of course, and the
roots of the Sunni-Shia schism
run even deeper. Saudi Arabia sees itself as the worldwide
leader of Sunni Islam, while
Iran is the main representative
of Shia Islam. There are plenty
of reasons to worry about Iran,
but on the ideological front its
influence is always likely to be
limited, because the Shia version of Islam is followed by only
10%-13% of the world’s Muslims.
Iranian protestors hold posters of the late Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr alNimr during a demonstration near the Saudi Arabian embassy in Tehran
on 3 January.
Saudi Arabia, on the other hand,
has been much more successful
at promoting its own – Wahhabi
– version of Sunni Islam. One
reason is that Saudis have spent
vast amounts of money doing so.
Another is that, since the kingdom is the original birthplace of
Islam, it’s a lot easier to persuade
Muslims in other countries that
the Saudi version is the most authentic.
This has had baleful effects in
many parts of the world. “Saudi
Arabia’s export of Wahhabi puri-
tanical Islam,” Thomas Friedman
wrote in the New York Times,
“has been one of the worst things
to happen to Muslim and Arab
pluralism – pluralism of religious
thought, gender and education –
in the last century”.
Iran’s influence in the Middle
East, though far from harmless,
is mainly confined to areas where
there are Shia Muslims – Bahrain, plus parts of Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia itself
(where they account for around
15% of the population). One con-
sequence of the invasion of Iraq
in 2003 was that it empowered
the Shia majority who had previously been kept in subjugation by
Saddam Hussein.
Even where the Saudi regime
has reasons to be fearful, the scale
of the Iranian/Shia threat has often been exaggerated for political reasons, and Saudi responses
have turned out to be counterproductive. For example, the establishment of Wahhabi-run schools
in Pakistan in the 1980s, intended
as a bulwark against Iranian/Shia
influence, helped fuel the conflict
in Afghanistan.
In Yemen, aggressive SaudiWahhabi proselytising, starting in the 1990s, stirred unrest
among the Zaidi communities (a
branch of Shia Islam), which then
led to a series of Houthi uprisings. Today the Saudis are at war
with the Houthis and Yemen is
being destroyed in the process.
Naturally they have characterised
this as a war with Iran, though in
comparison with what the Saudis
and their allies have been doing in
Yemen, Iranian involvement has
mostly been marginal.
Another effect of this onslaught
in Yemen, whether intentional or
not, has been to empower militant
Sunni elements there, including
al-Qaida and Islamic State. In
the wake of the Arab spring uprisings, sectarian narratives have
also proved a useful tool for Gulf
monarchies leading the counterrevolution – characterising protesters as foreign-inspired or at
least not representative of the
Sunni mainstream.
Last month the Saudis also
suddenly announced the formation of a new “military coalition”,
which looked suspiciously like an
attempt to sectarianise counterterrorism efforts. More than 30
predominantly Muslim countries
were said to have joined forces
to protect “the Islamic world”
against terrorism. Significantly,
the list of members did not include Iran, though bizarrely it
included Togo where Christians
outnumber Muslims and the majority have indigenous beliefs of
a sort that could easily get them
arrested in Saudi Arabia.
One problem the Saudi regime
now faces is that the sectarian and anti-Iranian narrative
on which it relies has been undermined by the international
nuclear deal struck with Iran
last year. The kingdom had little
choice but to officially accept it –
though it is still far from happy
about it. Provoking Iran might
be one way of demonstrating
that unhappiness. And in the
context of Saudi-Iranian relations, Nimr’s execution looks less
like a miscalculation than part of
an emerging pattern.
p11
Marine Species
Species of the week: Blotcheye Soldierfish
In this installment of this weekly feature by WiseOceans, we introduce the Blotcheye Soldierfish.
“WiseOceans is a marine education and conservation organisation, passionate about spreading
awareness of our seas and cele-
brating the wonderful marine life
found here in Seychelles. WiseO c e a n s Ma r i n e E d u c a t o r s a t Fo u r
Seasons Resort Seychelles teach
g u e s t s a n d s t a ff a b o u t c o r a l r e e f s ,
helping everyone to love and look
a f t e r t h e o c e a n . w w w.w i s e o c e a n s .
c o m”.
Scientific name:
Myripristis murdjan
Common name:
Blotcheye soldierfish
Habitat:
Lagoons and outer reefs
Diet:
Zooplankton
Did you know…?
• All species of soldierfish belong
to the Holocentridae family
• This family is in fact further
divided into two sub-families,
soldierfish and squirrelfish. Soldierfish belong to the subfamily
Myripristinae
• They are found on coral reefs
in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic
Oceans
• They are nocturnal fish with
large eyes to help them see better
Soldierfish school, Seychelles Oct 2013 © LS WiseOceans.
at night
• Soldierfish can make sounds by
grinding their teeth (ones found in
their throat) together and stretch
muscles against their long gas
bladders)
All species of soldier fish belong
to the family, Holocentridae. This
family is in fact further divided into
two sub-families. The soldierfish
belong to the subfamily Myripristinae and the subfamily Holocentrinae consists of squirrelfish. Holocentridaes are found in the reefs
of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic
Oceans, but are not very limited by
depth and some species are found
even below 100m! These are noc-
turnal fish with large eyes to help
them see better at night. During
the day they stay hidden in cracks
and crevices in the rocks.
Members of the Holocentridae
family may appear quite similar
at first glance, but there are a few
key differences to help you tell
them apart. These species can
range in size from barely a tenth
of a meter to half a meter. The fat
rich meat of the larger species can
make them a target for fisheries.
However the largest soldierfish
is only 13cm long! The family is
characterised by hard spiny fins.
The squirrelfish has venomous
spines at its gill opening and can
inflict painful injuries, while the
soldierfish lacks this offensive advantage. The squirrelfish mainly
feed on small fish and benthic invertebrates, while the soldierfish
usually feed on zooplankton. The
coloration of both subfamilies is
dominated by reds and silvers,
however certain traits help distinguish between the two. Soldierfish
are typically red with big eyes and
oval in shape while squirrelfish
are more slender with pointed
snouts and horizontal stripes.
Globally this family is not
threatened but there are local
declines caused from subsistence
fishing and habitat degradation.
However such local declines can
eventually lead to bigger problems to the global population. We
most certainly need to make sure
we lower our impacts on the reefs
since habitat degradation can affect more than just the soldierfish!
Soldierfish under coral Seychelles Feb 2013 © LS WiseOceans.
p12
Lifeline
Celebrity Profile:
Verdine White (1951–)
Jay Z: Harry Styles can be
the world’s biggest artist
Verdine White has been a member of Earth, Wind & Fire since 1970, and has worked as a bassist and songwriter for the popular R&B group.
Source: Biography.com
Talking to the Daily Star, the
rapper said: “Harry doesn’t need
any help with exposure, everybody in the world knows who he
is.”
The 46-year-old has previously mentored Rihanna, Kanye
West and Rita Ora.
Jay Z’s comments follow four
new songs being registered to a
performing rights organisation
in the US under Harry’s name.
The Roc Nation founder said
he’d be happy to work with the
singer but pointed out the hardest step in Harry’s solo career
will be “to make the transition
from being part of a group to becoming an individual artist”.
Vilmos Zsigmond, Close
Encounters cinematographer, dies at 85
Cinematographer
Vilmos
Zsigmond, best known for his
work on The Deer Hunter and
Close Encounters of the Third
Kind, has died aged 85.
Zsigmond’s business partner,
Yuri Neyman, said he died on
Friday in Big Sur, California.
The film-maker won an Oscar for Steven Spielberg’s 1977
film Close Encounters and was
nominated again a year later
for The Deer Hunter. He was
also revered as an architect of
the American New Wave in the
1970s.
Hungarian-born
Zsigmond
first gained renown for his collaboration with maverick director Robert Altman on his films
McCabe and Mrs Miller and The
Long Goodbye.
Franco-American art
dealer Wildenstein in tax
fraud trial
The trial has opened in Paris of
70-year-old Guy Wildenstein, patriarch of an international art dealing
dynasty, on charges of massive tax
fraud.
Several other members of the
family are also on trial over the allegations.
Mr Wildenstein is accused of hiding assets worth hundreds of millions of euros, exposed after claims
by the first wife of his brother Alec
and other members of the family.
If convicted, he could face 10 years
in jail. The trial has been dubbed
“Dallas-upon-Seine” by some of the
media in Paris, the BBC’s Lucy Williamson reports. The story behind
this trial extends back through almost 20 years of public scandal and
family intrigue, involving a dynasty
with vast assets and deep rifts between its members, our correspondent says.
Synopsis
Born in Chicago, Illinois, in
1951, Verdine White grew up to
be a talented bass player. When
he was still a teenager, Maurice
White (his older brother) invited
him to join Earth, Wind & Fire.
Verdine was part of the band as
it skyrocketed to success in the
1970s, and also helped the group
reclaim its popularity in the
1990s and 2000s. He has won six
Grammy Awards and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame.
Early life
Verdine White was born on
July 25, 1951, in Chicago, Illinois.
There, he grew up listening to
pop, jazz and classical music. His
father was a doctor, but Verdine
followed in the footsteps of other
family members, like his grandfather and his older brother,
Maurice White, and pursued music. Over the years, he turned into
a talented bass player.
Earth, Wind & Fire: Early
years
In 1970, Maurice, the founder
of Earth, Wind & Fire, invited
Verdine to join him in Los Angeles, California, and become a
member of the group. Verdine
stayed in the band as its member-
ship was reconfigured a couple of
years later, welcoming newcomers like singer Philip Bailey, guitarist Al McKay and keyboardist
Larry Dunn.
Between 1973 and 1983, Earth,
Wind & Fire became an im-
TODAY in History
January 6th is the 6th day of the year
1066: Harold II crowned
king of England
1838: Morse demonstrates telegraph
mense, chart-topping success.
The band melded pop, R&B
and other musical influences on
a succession of gold and platinum albums, and also received
six Grammy Awards. Their concerts were known for impressive
feats of showmanship, including
Verdine being lifted into the air
while he continued to play bass.
Earth, Wind & Fire: Later
years
After separating for four
years—during which time
Verdine worked as a producer
and directed videos—Earth,
Wind & Fire got back together in 1987. Maurice’s diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease
made him withdraw from
touring in the 1990s. However, Verdine stayed on the
road with Bailey and percussionist Ralph Johnson. Earth,
Wind & Fire also played at
the White House for both the
Clinton and Obama administrations.
Verdine and his fellow band
members have received numerous accolades for their
work with Earth, Wind & Fire,
such as receiving a star on
the Hollywood Walk of Fame
(1995) and being inducted
into the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame (2000). As a songwriter who contributed to many
popular Earth, Wind & Fire
songs, including “Fantasy,”
“Serpentine Fire” and “That’s
The Way of The World,” Verdine also joined the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2010.
Personal life
Verdine is married to Shelly
Clark, who was a member of
the 1970s girl group Honey
Cone.
ShowBiz
Bill Cosby wife to testify in
defamation case
Bill Cosby’s wife has been ordered to give evidence in a defamation case filed by seven
women accusing the comedian of sexual assault.
Source: BBC.com
On this day in 1066, following
the death of Edward the Confessor, Harold Godwineson, head of
the most powerful noble family
in England, was crowned King
Harold II. On his deathbed, Edward supposedly designated Harold the royal heir, but this claim
was disputed by William, duke of
Normandy and cousin of the late
king. In addition, King Harald
III of Norway had designs on
England, as did Tostig, brother of
Harold.
King Harold rallied his forces
for an expected invasion by William, but Tostig launched a series
of raids instead, forcing the king
to leave the English Channel unprotected. In September, Tostig
joined forces with King Harald
III and invaded England from
Scotland. On 25 September Harold met them at Stamford Bridge
and defeated and killed them
both. Three days later, William
landed in England at Pevensey.
On 14 October 1066, Harold
met William at the Battle of Hastings, and the king was killed and
his forces defeated. According to
legend, he was shot through the
eye with an arrow. On Christmas Day, William the Conqueror
was crowned the first Norman
king of England.
On this day in 1838, Samuel
Morse’s telegraph system was
demonstrated for the first time.
The telegraph, a device which
used electric impulses to transmit
encoded messages over a wire,
would eventually revolutionize
long-distance communication,
reaching the height of its popularity in the 1920s and 1930s.
Morse spent years developing a prototype and took on two
partners to help him. In 1838, he
demonstrated his invention using Morse code, in which dots
and dashes represented letters
and numbers. In 1843, Morse
finally convinced a skeptical
Congress to fund the construction of the first telegraph line
in the United States and in May
1844, Morse sent the first official
telegram over the line.
Using Morse’s patent, private
companies then set up telegraph lines and in 1851, the New
York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company was
founded; it would later change
its name to Western Union.
In 1861, Western Union finished the first transcontinental
line across the U.S. Five years later, the first successful permanent
line across the Atlantic Ocean
was constructed and by the end
of the century telegraph systems
were in place in Africa, Asia and
Australia.
A
judge rejected Camille
Cosby’s
attempts
to
avoid testifying, after she
claimed she was protected by a
marital disqualification law.
The women claim Mr Cosby
portrayed them as liars after they
went public with their allegations against him.
He filed a countersuit alleging
their claims were only for financial gain.
The 78-year-old is also seeking
unspecified monetary damages
and said the women inflicted
emotional distress.
Mrs Cosby is also her husband’s
business partner and the couple
have been married for more than
50 years.
Joseph Cammarata, a lawyer for the women, argued last
month he should be able to
question Mrs Cosby because he
believed she had “information
that’s relevant to the litigation in
this matter”.
“Shame and embarrassment”
As well as throwing out her
marital status disqualification attempts, Judge Magistrate David
Hennessey also rejected claims
the value of her evidence would
be undermined by the “undue
burden” it would cause her.
“The arguments do not outweigh the potential significance
of Mrs Cosby’s testimony, nor has
Mrs Cosby provided any authority that they do,” he said.
Bill and Camille Cosby have been married for more than 50 years.
The comedian had also tried to
prevent his wife having to testify
by having his lawyers argue it
was an attempt to put pressure
on him by causing them both
“shame and embarrassment”.
Mr Cosby’s accusers’ legal claim
alleges he and his representatives
sought to tarnish their reputations after they went public with
their claims of sexual misconduct.
Mr Cosby has repeatedly denied the accusations. His counter
legal claim contends the women
“engaged in a campaign to assas-
sinate” his reputation and character.
He has, however, admitted in
court proceedings he obtained
and gave women sedatives over
the years, but he maintained the
women took the drugs willingly.
Last week, prosecutors in
Pennsylvania charged the comedian with an alleged sexual assault in 2004. It is the first time
Mr Cosby has been charged with
any offence after months of accusations by dozens of women.
He is currently on $1m
(£675,000) bail.
p13
Arterial Network Seychelles
Back from the Venice Biennale
Local artists’ art which had been on exhibition in Venice, are now safely back in the country and on display at Kaz Zanana for your viewing pleasure until 11 January 2016.
U
George Camille.
ntil 2015, no Seychellois artist had ever exhibited at the Venice
Biennale, a vast and sprawling collection of shows which
dominates Venetian culture
for several months and is regarded as the most important
contemporary art exposition
in the world.
This year has been different
however, with Seychellois artists George Camille and Leon
Radegonde contributing their
work to the first Seychelles
pavilion at the Venice Biennale, having been selected by
international curators following an “open call” for submissions from all artists current-
ly working in Seychelles. This
historic cultural event was organised by the Seychelles Arts
Projects Foundation (SAPF),
which operates in close association with Arterial Network and shares Arterial’s
principal objective, namely to
make a significant impact on
the development of the arts in
Seychelles.
Once the Biennale closed,
Mr. Camille and Mr. Radegonde’s works were returned
to Seychelles – no easy feat
in the case of Mr. Camille’s
large installation piece - comprising of hundreds of handmade metal leaves - which
had to be disassembled, securely packed and shipped.
Only then could the work
return home, alongside Mr.
Radegonde’s large, treated
and distressed hessian works.
Both artists featured concepts
central to Seychelles, with Mr.
Camille exploring the possible conflicts between the environment and tourism development and Mr. Radegonde
archiving Seychelles’ domestic history through highly
charged personal statements.
Friday 12 December saw an
enthusiastic gathering at Victoria’s Kaz Zanana Art Gallery to witness the opening of
an exhibition which features
not only the works shown in
Venice earlier this year but
also additional pieces that
have been produced since
the Biennale by both artists.
Opened by Minister Alain St.
Ange, the show bears testimony to what is possible when
relatively small, under-funded organisations work with
determination towards a specific benchmark of achievement. Alain St. Ange praised
both participating artists as
well as the sponsors – mainly
international – who enabled
the realisation of the Seychelles pavilion, and spoke
of support for future projects arising from the strategic planning of Arterial and
SAPF.
Arterial Chairman Mr. Camille pointed out that both
arts associations need funding in order to “keep making
things happen”, a message
endorsed by Arterial Secretary Martin Kennedy, who
stressed that sponsors can
commit to NGOs such as Arterial in the full confidence
that funds will be properly
utilised in order to raise the
profile of the arts in Seychelles through projects that
will engage both residents
and visitors. He closed proceedings by urging prospective supporters to contact
Arterial Network with a view
to creating effective “can do”
partnerships and together re-
Leon Radegonde.
alise high profile events that
will generate interest from
all sectors of the community.
The audience heard details
of further initiatives currently being planned, including
the publication of a major
quality book on both the history of art in Seychelles and
the contemporary art scene,
and the launching of a national portrait competition
in Seychelles.
The exhibition will be open
until Monday 11 January, so
don’t miss the opportunity
from Mondays to Fridays,
10am to 5pm or Saturday
10am to 1pm, to explore the
artworks in the exhibition.
Both worlds.
Leon Radegonde’s art.
George Camille’s art.
The fall from grace.
The drawing.
The reclamation.
Dated this 05th day of January, 2016
Must sell – owner leaving
Independent Associates Ltd.
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The company in accordance with Section 88(2) of the International Business
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21 Jan – 19 Feb
You need to let partners and
loved ones know what you
think of them today, even
though it may be less than
flattering. Don’t worry that
you might hurt their feelings
– they are not nearly as sensitive as they like to make out.
The truth is important.
23 July – 22 Aug
You will attract the attention of some very important people over the next
few days and if you play
your cards right you might
soon be a VIP yourself. It’s
no less than you deserve, of
course. The cream always
rises to the top in the end.
20 Feb – 20 March
You don’t care in the slightest what others think
about your behaviour – in
fact you will go out of your
way to shock over the next
24 hours. Life is too short
to waste time wondering
if others approve of your
words and actions.
23 Aug – 23 Sept
Life is good and about to get
even better. No, really. Even
with Mercury, your ruling
planet, beginning one of its
retrograde phases today you
can’t help but be more open,
outgoing and optimistic.
Whatever you set your heart
on you will find a way to get.
21 March – 20 April
Little things that used to worry
you will seem less important as
from today. However, where
money matters are concerned
be careful you don’t let things
slide because the line between
making a profit and making a
loss is not as wide as you seem
to imagine.
24Sept–23Oct
You will get the chance to
make some serious money
over the next few days, but
you could also lose some serious money if you get carried
away and start thinking you
cannot possibly fail. Is there
a hidden catch? According to
the planets there may be.
21 April – 21 May
Your confidence will soar
over the next few days. You
will believe in yourself with
every fibre of your being and
that belief will make the impossible possible, for you at
least. Don’t expect loved ones
and colleagues to always be
on the same level though.
24 Oct – 22 Nov
No one is immune to your
charms. You know exactly
what words to use to win
others over and you know
that even if they resist it is
only a matter of time before
they give in and give you
what it is you desire. You’re
an unstoppable force.
22 May – 21 June
This is a trying time for you
and with your ruler Mercury
beginning one of its retrograde phases today things
may look a little gloomy. You
won’t find it so easy to reach
out to the world but that’s
okay. Try looking in at yourself for a change.
23Nov–21Dec
Turnyourattentiontowaysyou
can make your everyday routine less exhausting. For starters
you can find ways to get work
colleagues to shoulder more
of the burden. Just because
you can do most tasks better
than them does not mean you
shoulddoeverything.
22 June – 22 July
Someone new will come into
your life over the next few days.
Whether or not the friendship
stands the test of time remains
to be seen but even if it is shortlived it will give you an emotional lift and help restore your
faith in human nature
22 Dec – 20 Jan
This should be one of the
most enjoyable times of the
year for you and the only
thing that can spoil it is selfdoubt. Ignore that nagging
voice in the back of your
head says that you are out
of your league. You’re in a
league of your own!
Laguntravel LTD
Looking for 2 hardworking and honest
person to work with the company and to
start as soon as possible.
1 Operations agent (preferable male)
Should be able to work flexible hours daily
and 1 day off per week.
Should respect and deliver good attitude.
Should speak English and French, any
other language will be a plus and should
have at least 3 years experience in the
similar position.
Should have a valid driving license.
2 Reservation agent
Working hours from 8am to 4pm from
Monday to Friday, Saturday 8am to 12pm
and Sunday and Public holidays off.
Should have 3 to 5 years experience in the
reservation and marketing field.
Should have a valid driving license.
Please send your CV to info@laguntravel.com
or to our office at Unity house Block A
room 110 during working hours Or call
2715567 Mobile or Office 4410506
Down
1. Groups of cattle
2. Make use of
3. Detect
4. Preen
5. Legs
6. “Oh my!”
7. Anagram of “Acres”
8. Hi
9. A family of brass wind instruments
10. Embolden
11. “Smallest” particle
12. Go up
13. Glance over
21. A distinct part
25. Roman ruler
27. Nullify
28. Double-helix molecules
30. Gaelic
31. Dried hemp leaves
32. Golf ball supports
33. Pierce
34. Protagonist
35. Metrical unit of syllables
36. Location
37. Can
41. Prefix indicating recent or new
44. Probably (2 words)
46. Found in a woodwind instrument
50. Quotes
51. A supernatural creature
53. A jockey’s garments
54. Steam bath
55. Collection of maps
56. Sharp high-pitched cries
57. Without hair
58. Fifty-three in Roman numerals
59. Hebrew month
61. A thorny flower
62. Afresh
Yesterday’s solution
Across
1. A fastener
5. A wound made by cutting
9. An American retail chain
14. Always
15. Downwind
16. Caper
17. Hindu princess
18. An earthy deposit rich in lime
19. A Bantu language
20. Discharge
22. Virile males
23. Napped
24. Hot chocolate
26. Finish
29. Apprehend
33. Freight
38. Main course
39. Blue-green
40. Increases
42. Nature of being
43. Fleet of ships
45. Proximity
47. Small lynx
48. Mineral bearing rock
49. Construct
52. An analytic literary composition
57. Accuse
60. Expose to radiation
63. Assistants
64. An animated TV show (slang)
65. Letup
66. Type of vine
67. Otherwise
68. Strike sharply
69. Soiled
70. Change direction abruptly
71. Backtalk
1. In music, what term refers to a measure of sound over time?
2. Al Jazeera means ‘The (What?)’?
Published by TODAY Publishers (Seychelles)
Limited, P.O. Box 999, Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles
Printed by “The Print House (Pty) Ltd.”, Providence
Industrial Estate,
Mahé, Seychelles.
Tel: +248 4290 999/950/951
Fax: +248 4325999
info@today.sc
3. PDF, Adobe’s universal computer document format, stands for what?
4. What Anglicized Italian term from Latin ‘not known’ refers to a person’s having a
concealed or false identity?
5. What potent plant is called technically Papaver somniferum?
6. Viticulture refers to the cultivation of what fruit?
Grand Anse, Praslin
Tel: +248 4237 441
Fax: +248 4237 442
7. What rum-based cocktail is named from Spanish ‘little wet thing’?
8. Which spice is named from Hungarian for pepper?
Editor - Deepa Bhookhun
deepa.bhookhun@today.sc
9. An oophorectomy is the removal of one or both of a woman’s what?
10. A full moon which coincides with its closest proximity to Earth is called a ‘(What?)
moon’: Blue; Harvest; Festival; or Cheese?
Quick Quiz Answers: 1. Sustain 2. Island (referring to the Arabian Peninsular) 3. Portable Document Format 4. Incognito 5. Opium poppy 6. Grapes 7. Mojito 8. Paprika 9.
Ovaries 10. Harvest
House for rent at Greenwich (Mont Buxton), 2 bedrooms, parking facility, Aircon,
1Km and 5 mins walking distance to town.
To be available mid Jan 16. Call 2613360
Companies Act 1994 of the Republic of
Seychelles and in the matter of Albatross Engineering Ltd. (the Company),
we hereby inform that on the 04th day
of January, 2016, the company is in the
process of being dissolved as a company
under the International Business Companies Act.
How To Play
The objective is to fill the blank squares with the correct numbers
•Every row of 9 must include all digits 1 to 9 in any order
•Every column of 9 must include all digits 1 to 9 in any order
•Every 3 x 3 sub-grid must include all digits 1 to 9 in any order
Fill the other empty cells with numbers between 1 and 9
A number should appear only once on each row, column and 3 x 3 region
Business Development Manager - Veronica Maria
veronica.maria@today.sc
ISSN: 1659-7265
p15

Convicted murderer released in exchange for support to Parti Lepep

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