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Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission – Hearing number 93 |25 July 2020

Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission – Hearing number 93

From left Mr Rowny Vidot , Mr Gonzague D’Offay and Mr Simon Gill

Three general witnesses share facts and clarification with commission

The Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission yesterday welcomed three general witnesses who gave evidence, and shared their knowledge regarding incidents and events both before and after the 1977 coup d’Etat.

The first to appear before the commission was proportionally elected member of the National Assembly for United Seychelles (US) Simon Gill who talked about the content of the political education sessions he delivered within the military.

He was followed by entrepreneur Rowny Jones Vidot whose name came up in regards to a meeting held in 1977 where opinions were being gathered vis-à-vis a one party, or multi-party system.

The third witness was ex-minister Gonzague D’Offay who was quizzed regarding his perspective of the situation in Seychelles at the time of the 1977 coup.

 

Simon Gill – General political education

Yesterday’s presentation was the last in a series of three initiated following the issue of political education and indoctrination of soldiers in the Seychelles People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) during the one party era and the Seychelles People’s Defence Forces (SPDF) even after re-introduction of the multi-party system.

Appointed as a political commissar or political officer – a supervisory officer responsible for the political education (ideology) and organisation of the unit they are assigned to, and intended to ensure civilian control of the military – Mr Gill said his teachings were additional knowledge to boost the academic abilities of the soldiers to better interact with society and also to help them as individuals in their everyday life, rather than indoctrination.

During the two-hour presentation, Mr Gill gave an account on anti-imperialism, which in political science and international relations is a term used in a variety of contexts, usually by nationalist movements who want to secede from a larger polity (usually in the form of an empire, but also in a multi-ethnic sovereign state) or as a specific theory opposed to capitalism in Marxist-Leninist discourse, derived from Vladimir Lenin's work ‘Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism’.

The phrase gained a wide currency after the Second World War and at the onset of the Cold War as political movements in colonies of European powers promoted national sovereignty.

Some anti-imperialist groups who opposed the United States supported the power of the Soviet Union, such as in Guevarism, while in Maoism this was criticised as social imperialism.

Mr Gill noted that if learners developed an extreme opinion vis-à-vis the system and principles in place, it was not the real intention behind the education.

Based on that, it is important to point out that indoctrination is the process of inculcating a person with ideas, attitudes, cognitive strategies or professional methodologies, while the difference between teaching and indoctrination is that the latter is often distinguished from the former by the fact that the indoctrinated person is expected not to question or critically examine the doctrine they have learned.

 

Rowny Jones Vidot – Evidence on one party state

In his evidence, Mr Vidot gave clarifications on a meeting he attended in 1977 at the Théâtre des Palmes, shortly after the coup, where he gave his opinion on both the one party and multi-party systems.

Based on evidence submitted before the commission, when airing the meeting, Mr Vidot’s views on multi-party system were edited, allowing only those on one party state to be heard, something Ibrahim Afif confirmed he personally did.

At the meeting, Mr Vidot mentioned that following the coup, sooner, or later the ballot will definitely play the game.

Regarding the issue of galvanised public opinion regarding whether to, or not to have a referendum regarding the adoption of a one party system and constitution, Mr Vidot said he was not aware.

When asked about the credibility of the meetings, Mr Vidot said, personally, he was genuine regarding whatever opinions shared.

Mr Vidot was also quizzed on whether he thinks that the one party state served the interests of the people of Seychelles. He said looking back, he realises that maybe it was a good thing, while the only problem is the collateral damages that it caused.

That, he described as the annoying part.

 

Gonzague D’Offay – perspective of the situation in Seychelles at the time of the 1977 coup

 

The third witness before the commission yesterday was Gonzague D’Offay who was a minister without portfolio with responsibilities in Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Health and Welfare in President James Mancham’s cabinet.

He was giving evidence regarding his perspective of the situation in Seychelles at the time of the 1977 coup.

He was also asked to address some of the statements made before the commission that Mr Mancham was looking to become president for life and seeking to delay elections, and also not committed to addressing issues such as housing and other needs of the people of Seychelles.

Mr D’Offay was also asked about his reaction upon learning about the coup since he was in London, accompanying Mr Mancham at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference.

To begin his testimony, Mr D’Offay said Seychelles being a small country with a small, peaceful and harmonised population, the coup which brought fear, terror and atrocity was unnecessary.

This, he said, was based on the ego and ambition of one person only, namely France Albert Rene.

Mr D’Offay said such a commission was proposed by all opposition parties since the re-introduction of multi-party but was never materialised until the last parliamentary election in 2016 when the opposition gained a majority.

Based on the statement that Mr Mancham had the intention of becoming president for life, Mr D’Offay said it was rather Mr Rene who had such an ambition since he spent 27 years in power (1977-2004).

He explained that prior to the country’s independence, work on building houses, precisely in the Pointe Larue district should have begun, but with Mr Rene being responsible for land he delayed the process since he already had his plan to stage the coup.

Mr D’Offay said after the coup, the first batch of houses to be built was at Pointe Larue.

He also repeated the fact that there were reports of shooting going on at Île aux Récifs and upon investigations empty bullet casings were found, but when asked, Mr Rene assured Mr Mancham that it was only rabbit shooting.

Mr D’Offay also mentioned Gilbert Morgan who he said was a good friend of his.

He recalled having a conversation with him, in which Mr Morgan stated that President Mancham will not celebrate his one-year anniversary in power and that he (Mr Morgan) will be the next president.

Not knowing what that meant, Mr D’Offay reported that to Mr Mancham who apparently enquired about with someone, suspected to be Mr Rene via a phone conversation.

Mr D’Offay added that later he accompanied Mr Mancham on a mission to London and it was while he was over there that he learned about the disappearance of Mr Morgan.

Following the coup, Mr D’Offay spent 15 in forced exile in Durban, South Africa, before returning to Seychelles on April 6, 1992 following the re-introduction of multi-party system.

 

Roland Duval

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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