SANJAY JAGATSINGH
The Truth and Justice Commission was set up in March 2009 to look at the complex consequences of slavery and indentured labour. The thing is that this happened at a time when trickle-down economics – the closest you can actually get to slavery in a democracy without recall elections and statute referendums – was implemented in Mauritius for the first time.
And this happened a bit after new labour laws which many have regarded as being regressive and have been fighting to get repealed since were passed. Fixing the pain and injustice of the past requires the same two ingredients as good government: money and talent. Money has obviously been in short supply – there was at least Rs300 billion missing in the government till at the end of last year compared to what the flat tax was supposed to bring in – and so has talent.
This has led to an expected deterioration of the living conditions of way too many people. Add the massive disappointment with parties that had members of Cabinet over the last 13 years and you have the recipe for another shock general election.