Former Seychellois politician Kersley St Ange passes away |06 September 2022

Seychelles NATION has learnt that former Seychellois politician Kersley H. St Ange passed away on Sunday September 4, 2022 in Durban, South Africa where he was residing since many years.

Kersley St Ange is the brother of Alain St Ange, the former Seychelles Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine. The former has played his own part in Seychelles politics before seeing his assets compulsorily taken over during the island’s One Party State Government of the Second Republic.

Kersley St Ange is the eldest son of the late Karl St Ange. He was by his father’s side when the family hotel ‘Cabanes Des Anges’ was being constructed in 1972 as tourism started in earnest in Seychelles. This was big development for the island as it was only the second hotel on La Digue Island that came soon after the opening of the first tourism establishment the ‘Choppy Bungalows’ and its Odeon Bar. 

Kersley St Ange was a candidate in the 1974 general elections for the South Mahé Constituency. He was again a candidate for the Plaisance electoral district in the 1979 People’s Assembly Elections. Politics took its toll on Kersley St Ange after a fall-out with the hierarchy in power and the then President Albert René moved to take his cheese and yoghurt factory, the ‘Laiterie des Iles’, he had set up at Le Rocher with Mr Figerou as a partner who was a French national. This was just before the forced closure of the ‘Fish Trap’ small hotel and restaurant he had set up with his partner Allison Worrel at Baie Ste Anne on Praslin.

Kersley St Ange then left the islands and had since then been living in Durban, South Africa with his wife Isabelle. He leaves behind Keri and Brigitte, his two daughters in Australia, the Superintendent of Prisons of Seychelles Raymond St Ange and two last sons – Andre in Germany and Gian Marco in Italy.

Reacting on the passing of his elder brother, former Minister Alain St Ange said that he was “a kind brother who sadly died away from his country of birth”.

“He was my big brother, but also my Godfather. His last visit to Seychelles was for the wedding of my youngest daughter and he was planning for a 2023 visit. He has sadly left us all too soon and he will be missed,” added former Minister St Ange in Seychelles.

Contributed