Saoud BACCUS
24 October 2007
Port Louis — Another scandal to dot the political and social landscape! Residence Les Corsaires in Choisy appeared to have been scooped up by people in the know, instead of being sold to people in the need. I visited the Internet site (http://www.nhdc-online.com/) of this agency that falls under the ministry of Labour.
Two statements are worthy of note.
1. The role of the NHDC is to provide housing for low-income Mauritians. 2. Founded in 1991, the NHDC plans and implements a national program of social housing particularly for underpriviledged Mauritians. The spirit behind the creation of the NHDC should leave no doubt in anybody's mind that it was never intended to dwell in the business of property development. Worse, in the Choisy complex, where under-aged children
- 34 of them - have purchased a unit, it clearly shows an attempt to beat the system, to give the entire process a veneer of legitimacy, to fit the eligibility criteria to the profile of the purchaser.
All those who wrongfully benefited from the scheme - or scam, as some are calling it - should be made accountable for their actions, including any proxy buyer not employed by NHDC but who somehow managed to buy into it.
That these people in whom was entrusted the business of managing a crucial social policy were found with their hands in the cookie jar, we should thank the politician for bringing it to light. At least, he should be credited for asking crucial questions in the interest of the general public.
We must now wonder whether this is not merely the tip of the iceberg, and similar shenanigans don't exist elsewhere, and if so, who are better placed to blow the whistle? None others than those who are handling the paper work in similar agencies who must know a thing or two about improprieties, where deals are concocted with a wink and a nod. In this respect, these people should be given total immunity and protected from any type of reprisals.
It is not good enough for ICAC to investigate, the public does not have confidence in it and it is not independent. Only a public enquiry by a respected judge will restore some credibility in the way the government handles taxpayers' money.
Maybe Mr Ramjuttun, ever so willing and ready to fight for the downtrodden, can take on the battle. As for the greedy who indulged in buying what was not meant for them to have, they ought to know that corruption is a two-way process, the givers and the takers.
Finally, this is where a private television would have come in handy. There is no other media more powerful than the television to unravel mysteries.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2007 L'Express. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
