Ex-president launches autobiography
31.08.2009
Former president James R. Mancham launched his autobiography Seychelles Global Citizen at a special reception at Labourdonnais Hotel in Port Louis, Mauritius, on Thursday.
The launch was attended by several leading personalities representing politics, diplomacy, civil society, the business community and representatives of the media.
Mr Mancham said that as a global citizen, he is arranging to launch his book in capitals around the world – such as Pretoria, London, Washington DC and Berlin – over the next few weeks.
A similar event is planned for Seychelles on Saturday September 12 when his wife, writing under the professional name of Catherine Olsen, will also launch her new novel Sweet Seduction and the Third Mermaid, an intriguing story evolving in and revolving around Seychelles.
Mr Mancham said he chose Mauritius for the first launch because he was sure that his autobiography would attract a high level of media attention.
This has, in fact, proved to be the case. MBC TV news has carried considerable coverage in its Creole, French, Hindi and English programmes, while several national radio networks have broadcast interviews.
On Friday morning Le Matinal, the most popular morning paper in Mauritius, carried a half-page article under the title: “Sir James Mancham, l’autobiographie d’une vie…”
Following the launch ceremony, Mr Mancham discussed world affairs with Mauritian Minister of Foreign Affairs Arvind Boolell and later met Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam at his office in Port Louis.
In his capacity as a special adviser to the board of directors of the Institute of Cultural Diplomacy in Berlin, Mr Mancham invited Mr Ramgoolam to deliver a keynote address in that city in November on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Mr Mancham has also been a special guest of the South African ambassador to Mauritius and Seychelles, Dumi Madumane Matabanet, at a dinner he was hosting for the annual meeting of the Mauritius Writers’ Association.
On Friday morning, Mr Mancham visited the Apollo Bramwell Hospital, a multi-million dollar project that was recently opened with a range of modern and sophisticated medical facilities.
The project was built under the directorship of Dr Miodrag Todorovic, who was for several years a leading surgeon in Seychelles. Mr Mancham was welcomed on his arrival at the hospital by Bertrand Rassool (a former Seychelles high commissioner in London), who is vice-president of the British American Investment Group, which substantially financed the hospital project besides being one of the leading business concerns in Mauritius and Southern Africa.
And in the evening, Mr Mancham was the guest of the Chinese Business Chamber on the occasion of its President’s Dinner 2009, held under the patronage of Mauritian President Sir Anerood Jugnauth.
Mr Mancham returned in Seychelles on Saturday.