Campaigner for victims: Barry Laine
18th February 2025
By Lewis BetsyThe Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity process is concluded. The outcome is abundantly clear and endorsed by the final determinations of the process. There is however a daily sourc... more...
Contenders: Presidential candidate Alain St.Ange, right, with Vice-Presidential candidate Daniella Payet
14th February 2025
By Lewis Betsy With the Presidential elections not due for eight months, the political scene in Seychelles is already hotting up.Former Tourism Minister Alain St.Ange has announced his independen... more...
Giving evidence: Lewis Betsy at the TRNUC hearing in 2019. Picture courtesy of Today in Seychelles
24th January 2025
By Lewis BetsyThe Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission (TRNUC) completed its hearings in 2022. We are now in 2025, almost three years on, and nothing has happened.Why?The victims of the... more...
Time for unity: Lewis Betsy
23rd December 2024
By Lewis BetsyGreetings of the season to you all.So many things are said at this time of year that are meant to be joyful, but are just empty words. I too have a message this Christmas and I will get ... more...
Seychelles National Football team in 1970: Lewis Betsy is on the back row, fourth from right
2nd December 2024
By Lewis BetsySeychelles football is in a terrible state and it is time for a change.The election for a new committee of the Seychelles Football Federation is on the 7th December and I urge the repres... more...
Inspirational: Gerard Hoarau
22nd November 2024
By Lewis BetsyThe anniversary of the murder of my friend the freedom fighter Gerard Hoarau will fall on 29th November. It is said that time can heal a hurt, but after 39 years I still feel a terr... more...
Lewis Betsy at graveside
9th September 2024
By Lewis BetsyI hold very dear the memory of my close friend Gerard Hoarau, who was assassinated outside his London home in 1985.Gerard was a proud fighter for a democratic Seychelles and paid the ult... more...
Westminster Abbey National Day of Seychelles Evensong
3rd July 2024
A Special Mass (Evensong) was held at Westminster Abbey to commemorate the National Day of Seychelles.I was privileged to be among the guests from the Seychellois Diaspora who were invited.It was an e... more...

A true hero of Seychelles is remembered

15th December 2014

Gerard Hoarau
Gerard Hoarau

Family and friends gathered at the English graveside of Seychellois hero Gerard Hoarau to pay tribute to his memory. Prayers and a blessing were given by Father Roberts at the New Brentford Cemetery in Hounslow, Middlesex.

Sadness: Family and friends at the graveside of Gerard Hoarau
Sadness: Family and friends at the graveside of Gerard Hoarau

Gerard, the popular leader of the Seychellois National Movement, was assassinated outside his North London home just after 10am on Friday, 29th November, 1985. He had decided to walk the few hundreds yards to his doctor's surgery for an appointment and was shot as he approached the front door of the house at Greencourt Avenue.

News of this barbaric act shocked Seychellois communities throughout the world.

A message from Gerard’s younger brother Ralph was read at the Blessing by Josette and Alison Hoarau. These are the words:

Flowers in tribute: Gerard's grave in Middlesex
Flowers in tribute: Gerard's grave in Middlesex
Message for the Blessing

We remember like it was only yesterday, when we had all gathered here in May 1986 to lay Gerard to rest, far, far away from the land of his birth and his people, a land and people that he loved with a passion that perhaps none of us will ever understand. This place was awash then with floral tributes to our fallen hero. Since then much has happened and much has changed.

Many of those who made up that large gathering that day are themselves no longer with us, but what has not changed is the love and dedication to Gerard shown by those that I call his extended family.

Gerard touched many lives and many of those transcended the boundaries of mere friendship, they became part of his family. Ever since Gerard was cruelly taken away from us, his extended family have gathered, without fail, on the 29th of November to pay tribute and honour the memory of their beloved brother. Today, 29 years since that fateful day here we are again considerably older, braving the cold weather, but still our love for him has never diminished, if anything it has grown.

This dedication by us, his brothers and sisters, sends a clear and unequivocal message to those who thought that by killing him, they would silence him and kill his ideals. On the contrary Gerard continues to speak through us in many different ways and his message of freedom and justice in Seychelles resonates as clearly today as it did when he walked among us, which keeps alive the famous words once said by our brother, “you may kill me but you will never kill the idea of freedom”.

We will never bow to tyranny!

Thank you all for coming today and in particular, a special thank you to Lewis, Juliana and Doris who organised this very poignant event.

Remembrance: Alison Hoarau at the ceremony.
Remembrance: Alison Hoarau at the ceremony.
Poignant: Josette Hoarau reads the message sent by Gerard's brother
Poignant: Josette Hoarau reads the message sent by Gerard's brother

Latest News

Victims of the coup must stick together to get Ramkalawan to act
18th February 2025
Campaigner for victims: Barry Laine
By Lewis BetsyThe Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity process is concluded. The outcome is… more...
I want to be President of Seychelles, says Alain St.Ange
14th February 2025
Contenders: Presidential candidate Alain St.Ange, right, with Vice-Presidential candidate Daniella Payet
By Lewis Betsy With the Presidential elections not due for eight months, the political scene… more...
What will it take for our President to help the victims of the brutal Rene regime get closure?
24th January 2025
Giving evidence: Lewis Betsy at the TRNUC hearing in 2019. Picture courtesy of Today in Seychelles
By Lewis BetsyThe Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission (TRNUC) completed its hearings… more...
Let us have love, peace and unity this Christmas
23rd December 2024
Time for unity: Lewis Betsy
By Lewis BetsyGreetings of the season to you all.So many things are said at this time of year that… more...
We need to change the Seychelles Football Federation committee… they are ruining the game for us
2nd December 2024
Seychelles National Football team in 1970: Lewis Betsy is on the back row, fourth from right
By Lewis BetsySeychelles football is in a terrible state and it is time for a change.The election… more...
We remember with pride the heroism and sacrifice of Gerard Hoarau
22nd November 2024
Inspirational: Gerard Hoarau
By Lewis BetsyThe anniversary of the murder of my friend the freedom fighter Gerard Hoarau will… more...
We pay our respects to the memory of my brave friend Gerard Hoarau
9th September 2024
Lewis Betsy at graveside
By Lewis BetsyI hold very dear the memory of my close friend Gerard Hoarau, who was assassinated… more...
National Day for Seychelles commemorated at Westminster Abbey
3rd July 2024
Westminster Abbey National Day of Seychelles Evensong
A Special Mass (Evensong) was held at Westminster Abbey to commemorate the National Day of Seychelles.I… more...
April's News
News Archive