This cycle is a classic example of political spin and damage control for the 30 million armoured limousine purchase, for the circumstances surrounding Anil Bachoo private doctor’s presence at Dr A. G. Jeetoo Hospital , the controversy around Rs 35 million property acquisition at Bain-Bลuf, by the Minister of Housing and Lands, Shakeel Mohamed and for the bungled Pension Reform.
When a government faces criticism, it often follows a predictable playbook to shift the focus after commiting a series of blunders , one after another.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฒ๐๐จ๐จ๐ค ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ฌ
๐ญ. ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐จ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฅ/๐ฝ๐ก๐ช๐ฃ๐๐๐ง : A policy or statement fails, causing public backlash
๐ฎ. ๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ช๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐จ๐: Officials offer rapid counter-arguments to defend the original choice, providing all kinds of excuses and arguments -one more far fetched than the other .
๐ฏ. ๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ: As doubts grow among LePep, an accumulation of arguments builds up on social media and radio channels .
๐ฐ. ๐๐ค ๐๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐๐ช๐จ: The goal is to move the public debate from the original mistake to a new detail. The Govt press goes on the offensive by trying to add more convincing elements to the manufactured arguments.
๐ฑ. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ ๐๐ผ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ. Private briefings or selective leaks are given to friendly journalists to test new narratives. Deflecting blame helps shield top officials from direct responsibility.
Take the case of the 30 million armoured limousine purchase.
๐ญ. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐น๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ: La caisse vide , can we afford such luxuries ? For a Govt with a 60-0 approval from the electorate, the many VIPSUs around him should have been enough.
๐ฎ.๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ผ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ: With lots of arrogance , the PM retorted “Ki pou fer… pran saret al travay?”; After referring ,as usual, to "mo papa" , SSR, the PM explicitly invoked historical assassination attempts against Sir Anerood Jugnauth to justify the controversial purchase. He also argued that the previous official vehicles were constantly breaking down on the road, This tactic directly fits the "offensive damage control" playbook, leveraging severe historical precedents to reframe a highly unpopular, luxury expenditure as an absolute national security necessity.
๐ฏ.๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: Satirical posts on social media suggested that if Mauritius is so dangerous that a leader needs a blast-proof vehicle capable of withstanding heavy ballistic threats, the PM should just commute in a military tank or a combat. Cartoonists drew caricatures of a traditional ox cart covered in heavy steel plating, bulletproof glass, and BMW badges, mocking the false dichotomy Ramgoolam presented between a Rs 30M luxury armoured limousine and a primitive cart.
Darker Mauritian satire reminded the PM that regardless of how bulletproof or blast-proof his Rs 30 million vehicle is, it cannot shield him from old age or finality ("BMW blindรฉ la pou brile ou endan... enba laterr moutouk pou manze ou"), mocking the obsession with elite luxury over public service.
๐ฐ. ๐๐ค ๐๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐๐ช๐จ:: The "Standard Security Protocol" Argument: The state apparatus quickly shifted the narrative from a luxury upgrade to absolute operational necessity, arguing that high-level ballistic and explosive protection is a non-negotiable requirement for the Head of State. And Arvind Boolell coming to the rescue " ๐๐ญ ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ต ๐บ ๐ข๐ท๐ฐ๐ช๐ณ ๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ช๐ด ๐ด๐ถ๐ณ ๐ญ๐ข ๐ดรฉ๐ค๐ถ๐ณ๐ช๐ตรฉ ๐ฅ๐ถ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐ช๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐ฆ", affirme Arvin Boolell, rappelant que le vรฉhicule appartient ร l'รtat et non au Premier ministre.
๐ฑ. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ: A common element leaked or briefed to the press in these situations is that the procurement process was either initiated under the previous administration, or forced by state security divisions (like the VIP security secretariat), effectively trying to distance the current leader from the initial paperwork.
Have a look at yesterday’s L’express :EN MARGE DU «U.S.-AFRICA BUSINESS SUMMIT 2026» Quatre ร cinq blindรฉs ร acquรฉrir ? The latest argument leaked out by the PMO is that if Mauritius is to ensure the attendance of senior leaders at the December summit, there can be no compromise on security requirements. “It now remains to be determined how many armoured vehicles will need to be procured – and at what cost to the public purse.” The government's machinery has worked overtime to reframe the purchase as a routine.
Same playbooks for Anil Bachoo’s gaffe and Shakheel Mohamed lousy dealings and the bungled Pension reform!
๐๐จ๐ข๐ฅร ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐ญ ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฉรฉ ๐ค๐จ๐ฎ๐ฒ๐จ๐ง๐ง ๐๐๐๐๐ฉ !!!
