by Raj JUGERNAUTH

So Rashid Beebeejaun has reaped one of the most distinguished medals, which the Republic of Mauritius bestows upon its deserving sons. Good for him and his morale. Good for his relatives also, for he shared this moment of happiness on television with his partner in greatness: his wife. We were far from another television image of his, when he wept before the camera after his disappointment with one Paul Raymond Bérenger.

No doubt, he has travelled a long distance since then. On the road of success cleared of obstacles and congestion. We cannot say the same thing of the thousands of motorists he has been elected to serve and who pay annually a very costly road tax. Rashid Beebeejaun said last week that road congestion is one of the priorities of the government.

How come ? Unbelievable statement from Rashid Beebejaun, minister responsible for Public transport and Road infrastructure. He has miserably failed to solve this national problem which is costing the economy billions of rupees and deteriorates each day. Rashid Beebejaun has not even been able to alleviate this problem by one iota. He has not constructed even one metre of new road. The open bus way, which the last foreign expert proposed is still an unreachable dream. His ministry is still in the process of implementing one of the recommendations of the British expert, the setting up of a Transport Authority.

In fact, Rashid Beebeejaun is ranked among cabinet ministers with the worst performance record. But then, he is not an exception. Apart from two or three ministers, the cabinet is not performing. A special kind of culture has been fast developing inside that cabinet and many ministers have delved entirely into the business of nominating and promoting their people and only their people.

This culture has gone very far and senior ministers have interfered in other ministries to promote, demote and transfer. It is this kind of business which led lately to a threat of resignation from the minister of Finance. In the present cabinet, the minister who can appoint, promote and demote people in his ministry or any ministry and para-statal body is considered to be a good and powerful minister.

The result is the building up of frustration in the midst of ministers who are considering themselves victims of such policies. The end result might be a cabinet we have not seen since the departure of Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam from power in 1982. His cabinet was some sort of La Cour du Roi Pétaud. But since 1982, we have had powerful prime ministers with authority over their cabinet ministers. With the modus operandi of ministers giving themselves the power to promote their people and only their people, Navin Ramgoolam might find himself sooner or later with a new culture of ?contestants? amongst some of his ministers and the usual clientele of the Labour party. We will then have a remake of his father?s cabinet, which got wrecked on a rock called ?60-0?. A remake of this episode would be very inglorious to that beloved motherland of ours. Let?s hope you don?t have to cry, beloved country.