All hands on deck to give Corgat Estate a new facade |04 April 2022

• Re-igniting the spirit of volunteerism among the people

By Roland Duval

For years, Corgat Estate in the Mont Fleuri district has been seen as one of the most frequented drug hot-spots in the country, gathering people from all around the island to engage in trafficking and consumption of illicit drugs.

With the aim of transforming the place and returning it into residential area to fit its purpose, a voluntary cleaning session, drawing together people from all around the country and all sectors of the society, including cabinet ministers, took place on Saturday.

Other than deterring the illegal activities, Saturday’s cleaning also targeted the river banks, following the serious flooding on March 11.

An initiative of the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, along with various partners, including other ministries, district emergency brigades, the prison services among others, the activity was a recommendation from President Wavel Ramkalawan following his visit in the area, to personally assess not only damages done by the flooding, but also the general situation of Corgat Estate.

Minister for Local Government and Community Affairs, Rose-Marie Hoareau, explained that the activity was well received by everyone, gathering members of the various emergency brigades from all over Mahé who voluntarily brought their support to district administrator for Mont Fleuri Steve Noel, through manpower, heavy tools and event transportation means.

She described the activity as a very good example of team effort and solidarity among the people.

Minister Hoareau further added that action of the people during the activity proves that the spirit of volunteerism is coming back in Seychelles. Something which she said, as a nation, we should be so proud of.

All sweaty with his machete in hand, Minister for Land and Housing Billy Rangasammy said his presence is all in the spirit of solidarity and the principle of leading by example.

Being responsible for housing, he said it is his wish to see the area transformed into a conducive residential area, free of all the present ills that are negatively impacting on the lives of the residents, especially the children, who are being robbed of their opportunities to have a decent life and childhood.

Minister Rangasammy also added that since his ministry has plans to extend the housing project in the area, including recreational facilities, he feels that it his duty to help in clearing and setting up the site for the project.

Also present on site on Saturday was member of the National Assembly (MNA) for Mont Fleuri Michel Roucou who explained that most of the time it is people from elsewhere who gather at Corgat Estate and get involved in illicit activities, turning the place into a hot spot.

He explained that with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the illegal gatherings create an impact and increases the risks of spreading the virus, impacting not only different households, but also the government and country as a whole.

The accompanying photos show some highlights of the cleaning activity on Saturday.

Photos by Thomas Meriton