Much missed: Elvis Dias in younger days
14th March 2024
By Lewis BetsyThis is such a sad time as I have lost another dear friend, Elvis Dias.He died four days after his 66th birthday and with family and friends, I attended his funeral at Our Lady of the Vi... more...
By Lewis Betsy  The scandal of what is happening with the Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission is an outrageous insult to the people of Seychelles. In his State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ramkalawan referred to the TRNUC, but he never offered anything serious or concrete concerning what would happen to the victims. I had previously warned that the Commission looked doomed to fail.  Yet it must not fail. The Government must not let the victims down. The truth is that the TRNUC has become a joke for the LDS Government. They are playing politics with it and applying a delaying tactics strategy with the victims.  The time has come to say enough is enough. My case number is No 2 and I am sure by now the Government must have had an idea where mine and all the many other cases were heading. It is not that difficult. We simply want justice and compensation for all the hurt we have suffered since 1977.  Naturally, we need answers to achieve closure.  In the meantime, we are forced to wait and trauma continues to impact families. Those that decided to stay in Seychelles have also suffered, but it was their choice not to bring their cases to the TRNUC.  It appears there is a blame culture going on: We are not children of Seychelles now because we brought our cases to the TRNUC. However, the suffering goes on for all.. For some victims it is too late. They have died with no answers forthcoming. So I ask: Where are the lists and names of the perpetrators? Why is the President keeping the lists from us? Is he protecting someone? Of the few perpetrators who came to the TRNUC, only five or six of them publicly said sorry for what they had done. And that was it. I note that many other known perpetrators are out and about in town, mixing freely with the public. It has become a sick joke and we, the victims, are suffering. The fact is I believe the TRNUC has become such a shambles that no one wants to deal with it. The LDS have the power they want and are cynically running the country without a care in the world. They have no sense of responsibility or duty. The LDS government is trying to wash its hands when it comes to paying the victims – though I see that they managed to find the money to pay all the Commissioners.  Yet who set up this scenario in the first place? It was Ramkalawan and former President Danny Faure. Timing is all, of course, and there are elections next year. We’ve got to watch it, or LDS might use the victims again to get another term in office. The more you think about the issue the more it makes you sick. How on Earth are we ever going to achieve unity in Seychelles when this situation persists?
11th March 2024
By Lewis BetsyThe scandal of what is happening with the Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission is an outrageous insult to the people of Seychelles.In his State of the Nation Address (SONA... more...
Hope: Lewis Betsy meets President Danny Faure at State House on 16th March 2017 to discuss unity.
11th March 2024
By Lewis BetsyI write this with a great sense of loss and despair. For decades now I have campaigned for my beloved Seychelles to achieve unity.It is now March 2024 and there is nothing like it in sig... more...
1st March 2024
By Lewis BetsyWe heard optimistic words about the future of Seychelles from President Wavel Ramkalawan in his State of the Nation Address for 2024, but will these hopes be fulfilled?He talked about th... more...
Expert: Alain St.Ange addresses the audience at the African-Asian Union ceremony
29th February 2024
Seychelles tourism expert Alain St.Ange was part of the awards panel that declared Sharm El-Sheikh the Tourism Capital City 2024.The former Tourism Minister for Seychelles who now heads his own touris... more...
Devoted mother: Helen Azolan
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By Lewis BetsyIt was with great sadness that my wife and I said a final farewell to our dear friend Helen Azolan.Helen, a much-loved mother of four, died aged 64, and Seychellois families and friends ... more...
Dedication: Rosie Bistoquet (picture The National Assembly of Seychelles)
8th January 2024
By Lewis BetsyI would like to pay a personal tribute to the life and work of Rosie Bistoquet, a member of the Seychelles National Assembly, whose life has ended so tragically.Rosie Bistoquet, 62 and a... more...
Best wishes: Lewis Betsy, publisher of Seychelles Life
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By Lewis BetsySeychelles Life would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.It has been a terrible time for those hit by the floods and then the massive explosion in Mahe.My heart... more...

What I learned during my 14 days of quarantine in Seychelles

11th September 2020

Mutual support: Left, Shanna Charlette, Lewis, Jude Monaie and Rena Baccarie at the Quarantine Centre in Berjaya
Mutual support: Left, Shanna Charlette, Lewis, Jude Monaie and Rena Baccarie at the Quarantine Centre in Berjaya

By Lewis Betsy

 

I returned to my beloved Seychelles last month, but my homecoming was not what I really wanted. I couldn’t visit anywhere, or meet my friends straight away. Instead, I had to go into quarantine.

Because the UK has suffered so tragically and so badly from the Covid-19 virus, the Seychelles government has made it quite plain to all visitors that everyone has to be protected.

So, when I landed from Heathrow via Dubai I had just one destination – the Quarantine Centre in Berjaya, and it was there I had to spend 14 days in isolation.

In truth, it was not that bad. The people who dealt with me were excellent. First of all, I thank the Health Department in Seychelles especially Dr Gedeon and Dr Louange and his team who set up the Berjaya Centre.

Also let me take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the carers at Berjaya for the tremendous work they are doing. They include the manager M A Hoareau, and Mr J-P Almaze and Ms S Vidot.

The incredible team they lead made my stay straightforward and safe and kept me healthy.

During my time there I met some amazing people also in quarantine – Jude Monaie, Shanna Charlette and Rena Baccarie. We became very close and supported each other on a daily basis and that made our days locked away from the world a lot easier.

The experience has helped me to reflect again on the future of Seychelles and the need to heal and rebuild our fractured community. I realise that the task is enormous and have come to the conclusion that we need to work together more than ever. 

We are as one in the fight against this terrible COVID-19, now we must use that same unity and determination to reshape our nation and create a fairer and more caring society.

Even though we are a small groups of islands glittering at the heart of a mighty ocean, we have proved to the world that we can play a positive and useful role on a bigger stage. 

Tourism is the breadwinner for the Seychelles economy and this sector has suffered terribly in the pandemic. Yet, we have a shared determination to be successful and by working together we can rebuild our tourism industry.

On a more sombre note, my quarantine brought back memories of November, 1979, when I was arrested and detained for no reason. I spent three months in Rene’s jail and to this day no explanation has been given for my arrest.

This led to my thinking about the current state of politics. The past has been bad, but it should not be a burden on our future. We can learn from it. We must now move forward and as a team transform Seychelles.

This also means that the political parties taking part in the coming Presidential and National Assembly elections need to make sure their representatives take their roles responsibly. There is too much sniping and backbiting which make us look like amateurs.

If we want to be taken seriously as a mature democracy we must act differently.

We need to stop being greedy and think about our people. I still believe a Government of National Unity can work as long as it is not dominated by one political group - and not as Danny Faure so clearly wanted.

Time for reflection: Lewis Betsy masked and in quarantine for 14 days
Time for reflection: Lewis Betsy masked and in quarantine for 14 days

Today, I have no regrets at having spent 14 days in quarantine. It has given me time to think, to work out what I believe would give back to Seychelles its true title of Paradise.

The future is not going to be easy for our beautiful islands. Saving the tourism industry and kick-starting the economy will be an uphill task.

But it can be done.

By sharing the load together we can restore Seychelles to its proper place on the world map of caring nations… and also live in peace.

Latest News

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Much missed: Elvis Dias in younger days
By Lewis BetsyThis is such a sad time as I have lost another dear friend, Elvis Dias.He died four… more...
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11th March 2024
By Lewis Betsy  The scandal of what is happening with the Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission is an outrageous insult to the people of Seychelles. In his State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ramkalawan referred to the TRNUC, but he never offered anything serious or concrete concerning what would happen to the victims. I had previously warned that the Commission looked doomed to fail.  Yet it must not fail. The Government must not let the victims down. The truth is that the TRNUC has become a joke for the LDS Government. They are playing politics with it and applying a delaying tactics strategy with the victims.  The time has come to say enough is enough. My case number is No 2 and I am sure by now the Government must have had an idea where mine and all the many other cases were heading. It is not that difficult. We simply want justice and compensation for all the hurt we have suffered since 1977.  Naturally, we need answers to achieve closure.  In the meantime, we are forced to wait and trauma continues to impact families. Those that decided to stay in Seychelles have also suffered, but it was their choice not to bring their cases to the TRNUC.  It appears there is a blame culture going on: We are not children of Seychelles now because we brought our cases to the TRNUC. However, the suffering goes on for all.. For some victims it is too late. They have died with no answers forthcoming. So I ask: Where are the lists and names of the perpetrators? Why is the President keeping the lists from us? Is he protecting someone? Of the few perpetrators who came to the TRNUC, only five or six of them publicly said sorry for what they had done. And that was it. I note that many other known perpetrators are out and about in town, mixing freely with the public. It has become a sick joke and we, the victims, are suffering. The fact is I believe the TRNUC has become such a shambles that no one wants to deal with it. The LDS have the power they want and are cynically running the country without a care in the world. They have no sense of responsibility or duty. The LDS government is trying to wash its hands when it comes to paying the victims – though I see that they managed to find the money to pay all the Commissioners.  Yet who set up this scenario in the first place? It was Ramkalawan and former President Danny Faure. Timing is all, of course, and there are elections next year. We’ve got to watch it, or LDS might use the victims again to get another term in office. The more you think about the issue the more it makes you sick. How on Earth are we ever going to achieve unity in Seychelles when this situation persists?
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Dedication: Rosie Bistoquet (picture The National Assembly of Seychelles)
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