So Ségolène Royal thinks we’re very avant-garde in terms of gender equality. Really. What an interesting thought. I wonder to what extent the free stay at the state-owned bungalow at the Trouaux-Biches hotel influenced her thought pattern. I mean really, to come and talk such rubbish, to dare think that Mauritian women were so bloody stupid that she could come and insult them by telling them just how good they had it, one has to either be raving mad, plain stupid or just not give a damn about anything as long as they get what they want.

Of course, if Royal got her information from the gender minister-in-name-only Mireille Martin, then it’s no wonder she ended up talking such nonsense. Martin is so far removed from the realities of her ministry, the cabinet saw fit to give the presidency of the ministerial committee to oversee the problems of the orphans detained in Brown Sequard Hospital, to former women’s minister Sheila Bappoo.

In fact, stakeholders in that specific field are in such despair over Mireille Martin’s aloofness and indifference that they can’t stop saying how they miss having Sheila Bappoo back at the helm. Some food for thought for Prime minister Ramgoolam who insists he wants to do good, that he wants his ministers to bring results. Prove it then; forget about what Martin means in terms of the balance of power in Parliament and take her to task. For, we pay our taxes for government to take care of the orphans of the Republic in our name, not to finance the ego and the lifestyle of a minister and her entourage.

You know what else we don’t pay for? Ségolène Royal’s trips to Mauritius. Obviously, she is most welcome if she wants to come and visit our declining . As long as she pays for her visits.

That a person of her fame (if not her discernment) came twice in a couple of months should have been a great thing for us and our dwindling economy. Except that when you need to boost your arrivals, you don’t spend money pampering a defeated presidential candidate.

Reports suggest that our wily Prime minister has figured out that the best way to the Elysée is through President François Hollande’s sentiments. Great if this can help us but what is not acceptable is the continuous use of public money with absolutely no accountability. In what capacity did Ségolène Royal come to Mauritius? Did she pay for her flight? Was she given VIP privileges once she landed? Was she provided with VIPSU services as well as a VIPSU car? What else did we pay for? And then in return for “our” generosity, which she obviously mistook for Navin Ramgoolam’s generosity, Madame Royal tells us we’re an example to Europe.

There’s a Kreol word she needs to learn –“moufta”. She also needs to know we’ve got enough of them here.