N Touch

MENAGE A TROIS — A RECIPE FOR MURDER

It was a volatile situation — a woman living with both her husband and ex-boyfriend — and perhaps one destined for just where it ended: the shooting deaths of the couple and the jailing of the ex-lover, now charged with five offences arising out of the June 17 incident in Philadelphia.

Many have expressed their views about the murders of Trinidadian Pramatee Rampersad-Celestine, 40, and her New York-born husband, Eugene Celestine, 29. Rampersad-Celestine’s former common-law-husband, Trinidadian Cyprian Diaz, 57, is now sitting in the Philadelphia State Prison charged with the murders and his two children, Michael, 13, and Randy Diaz, 9, are the prosecution’s main witnesses, having reportedly witnessed the gruesome murders. The story itself is weird, and perhaps the real truth may never be known with the husband and wife team dead and the murder suspect sitting in jail, refusing to give Philadelphia police a statement. It is his right, however, not to speak to the police.

Since the murders, families of the murder victims as well as the alleged murderer have given their views on the Philadelphia murders, dubbed a crime of passion by police in that country. Relatives of the dead woman have charged that she was physically abused by Diaz, and that she had run from him, but that he followed her to Philadelphia. On the other hand, family members of Diaz have claimed that Rampersad-Celestine, who is also the mother of Michael and Randy, cheated him out of retirement benefits derived from working over 30 years as a watchman at the Tunapuna County Council. Eugene Celestine’s mother, New Yorker Consuelo Paris-Celestine, have also chipped in saying if she knew what she did now, she would not have allowed her son to marry Rampersad-Celestine. While all this has been said, the burning question, however, is why Diaz, Rampersad-Celestine and her husband were all living together at the two-story row house on 54th and Arch Street, West Philadelphia? Family members of both Diaz and Eugene Celestine, as well as the Philadelphia police and Assistant District Attorney Mark Gilson have confirmed that the trio lived together. The woman’s family are however denying this. Also, why did Rampersad-Celestine invite Diaz to Philadelphia from New York, as claimed by chef Joel Stuart, who now says he is the owner of the contentious Island Style Soul Food Restaurant at 136 S. 60th Street, Philadelphia, an area which can be compared to Nelson Street, in Port-of-Spain. After all, the woman’s relatives said she ran from him after years of abuse. The reason given is money. It has been claimed that Eugene Celestine was not very “well-off” and Rampersad-Celestine, not having much of a job at the same restaurant where she worked in the kitchen, leaned heavily on Diaz to support her and her two children, perhaps Eugene as well.

And where did Eugene Celestine fit into all of this? He was the main player, being American-born, Eugene could have given Rampersad-Celestine something that Diaz could not, even if he tried. So Rampersad-Celestine and Eugene got married and as is the norm, the former got the famous green card, something that thousands of non-nationals wish for. Sometime after her marriage to Eugene Celestine in December 2001, some six months before Diaz returned to the US on May 9, 2001, Rampersad-Celestine and her new husband is reported to have agreed to have Diaz live there. Diaz is said to have moved into the Philadelphia house in September 2002 and was paying a rent. But sometime after the living agreement, things went sour between Rampersad-Celestine and her husband, who reportedly moved out, according to Philadelphia police. Investigators said Rampersad-Celestine had asked Diaz to leave the house by June 30 and police said she brought her husband to get him out sometime over the weekend before the double murders. That appeared to have triggered Diaz, who then allegedly shot the two to death, one by one. Eugene was the first one who was felled. Around 2.20 am June 17, Eugene was found lying face down on the pavement in the first block of North Ruby Street, suffering from a shotgun wound to the head. He was pronounced dead about 35 minutes later at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia police had originally thought that Eugene’s case was an isolated one until they got a call at 2.40 am, summoning them to 106 N. 54th Street, which is around the corner from the spot where Eugene was found. There, they found Rampersad-Celestine’s body in the living room, with a bullet wound to the chest.

It is not clear what time Rampersad-Celestine was shot, but detectives said Diaz stayed in the house with Michael, Randy and their mother’s body for at least 10 hours. In the early afternoon of June 17, Diaz dropped off the boys at Island Style Soul Food Restaurant. Sometime after, the boys walked home and called the police. While not condoning what Diaz allegedly did, who can say this could not have happened to anyone else, given the circumstances. We have heard of triangular murders in this country and other parts of the world. What makes this case unique however, is the fact that they all lived in the same house, seemingly like one big happy family. Surely, Rampersad-Celestine’s family must have known about this. So why are they trying to paint the best picture they can possibly paint of the dead woman? Is it because of everything that is unfolding now? Another question is how did Rampersad-Celestine have in her possession a divorce certificate which was reportedly granted by authorities in Trinidad, according to Eugene’s family. The document reportedly stated that Rampersad-Celestine and Diaz were divorced, but Diaz’s family as well as the woman’s brother, Taran Rampersad, staunchly denies a marriage ever existed. Is there some fraud involved here? There seems to be a lot of covering up on the part of Rampersad-Celestine’s family or perhaps the deceased woman gave them a different view of her living arrangement in Philadelphia. Her relatives claim she was the owner of Island Style Restaurant, Diaz’s family said they both owned it, while chef Joel Stuart said neither of them owned it. Stuart said both Diaz and Rampersad-Celestine began working at the restaurant about three months ago. He said Diaz had been paying the monthly rent of US$800 for the piece of property owned by Emmanuel Charles, 38, of Greenwich Street. The property has a market value of US$10,000, according to the Philadelphia City Records.

While both families continue to try and disgrace each other, there is another matter of paramount importance at hand, that being the custody of Michael and Randy, who are now in the care of the Philadelphia Department of Human Services (DHS) who have said the children are highly traumatised. Having to testify against their father is one thing, then not knowing where they will spend the rest of their lives is another. Their mother’s family as well as relatives of the alleged murderer, say they want custody of the boys. How the custody battle will unfold is anybody’s guess, but family members of both sides should be very careful how they proceed because the possibility exists that neither may get the boys? That decision, however, is up to Philadelphia Judge Lisa Richette, who has placed a gag order on lawyers, social workers, and psychologists involved in the case.

Problem of porn

The National Library and Information Service has taken steps to ensure that all Internet “sites containing pornographic material are blocked for use” at its libraries. This is, of course, a necessary action since it removes the temptation and the possibility from students, young people and even adults to use the library computers to gain access to this kind of depravity. There is no need for us to emphasise the moral damage that pornography does to every society, particularly its young people, and already an abundance of this lewd material is channelled into our homes through a number of satellite stations which places a serious responsibility on parents. The decision by NALIS is critical also because the National Library in Port-of-Spain has become a popular liming place for students particularly on a Friday afternoon, when most of them gather there not to undertake serious study and research, but rather to “socialise” among themselves.

As one teenager proclaimed recently, it’s the place where boys meet girls and girls meet boys. While we can have no objection in principle to such gatherings we must wonder whether the strength of the Library’s security force is up to the task of overseeing these large crowds of young people on its premises and ensuring that they can contain any outbreaks of rowdiness among the students who come from different areas of the city. As much as it distresses us, we cannot overlook the violence that takes place in our schools and the reports of students engaging in sexual activity in and outside the school premises. It seems unfortunate that while the advance of communications technology has improved our lives in so many ways, it is also being abused to demoralise us. The ease with which pornographic material has been available for access to persons with computer Internet services has created a children’s market for porn, and the need for many parents to be vigilant with respect to their children’s choice of internet sites. Indeed, as technology takes us forward in material terms, it opens the way for perverts to threaten our society’s moral well being. A recent claim that schoolchildren had viewed pornographic material on a computer at the Diego Martin Pubic Libary has been firmly denied after careful investigations showed no computer usage for any kind of prohibited activity.

In this respect the measures taken by NALIS are reassuring but we are also dismayed by reports of the conduct of some students who, instead of appreciating the excellent facilities for study and research provided by the National Library, have actually been misusing and vandalising its computers. Some of the damage they have caused, we understand, has resulted in the breakdown of a number of computers. We remember when free secondary education was introduced in TT many years ago, one school of thought held that the opportunity would not be valued or appreciated by those receiving it because it was free. Whether or not that view has been substantiated may be a matter for debate, but the problems at the National Library may well provoke the pessimists into renewing their point about providing such  “freeness.” What ever the case, however, NALIS needs to beef up its protective security. Computers are expensive equipment and the cost of repairs could be high. For whatever it’s worth, parents and teachers should also attempt to inculcate into our children a spirit of patriotism, love for their country  and an appreciation of the opportunities it provides for their own personal development.

Why catholics leave the church


Sometime in the early 90’s I promised a Trini friend that while on holiday in Ireland I would visit a site of Our Lady’s appearance in West Cork. It took little to persuade the O’Callaghan with whom we were staying to drive us through West Cork: the scenery was magnificent and she had never heard of this appearance of Our Lady. We drove the miles to West Cork, map in hand, and located the village in nowhere. We went into the pub. There was mystification until the owner suggested that it must be Mrs X’s statue – he had seen a couple of cars going there sometime ago. We followed his directions – there was no one but ourselves on the road. Eventually we saw one car parked. “It’s here,” my husband said. “But there’ll be a lot of people,” I told him. “It’s here,” he repeated. It was. Across a path was a banal statue of Our Lady, a spring with an old pipe chanelling the water, a row of old bottles, a bunch of plastic flowers and a woman ending her rosary – it was Mrs X. We said a rosary together while my husband wandered to snoop. Higher up the road was a plaque. The statue had been erected by a couple in memory of their handicapped child. Along this road they would wheel her until she died. The statue was a gift from one heartbreak mother to another, telling more of Our Lady than a thousand visions. That story had not travelled here. What had travelled was the wave of visions that were part of the ‘moving statues’ hysteria which for a short while hit Ireland. Leave alone West Cork. Along West Kerry are some of the oldest Christian remains in Europe. Here one can follow the route of the pilgrimage that would take Irishmen across to convert parts of Europe. Here are the old beehive monastic cells, an old stone oratory, an early Christian burial ground. Further north there is Clonmacnois, the centre of early medieval Christianity chosen as one of the principal sites of the Pope’s visit. It was this Ireland that would form the later myth of Ireland of saints and scholars. How is it that this never travelled in the near 150 years of Irish priests and nuns, but an insignificant vision in West Cork does? I scan through the Trini pilgrimages going through Paris.


Trapped in
the 19th Century


I know the two major stops: Rue de Bac, site of the vision of the miraculous medal, and Sacre Coeur, a monument of perpetual adoration – and monument to the victory of Thiers’ anti-communards over the French commune. Both are of the 19th century and long faded as centres of French pilgrimage. French Catholic interest is more likely to centre on the ruins of Cluny, once the place of Europe’s Catholic scholarship, or hidden away, it is true, and near to the self-same Sacre Coeur, the place where Ignatius of Loyola and his first Jesuits made their initial private vows. Why is it that none of this travel across the ocean? To put it bluntly: why is it that Trinis remain trapped within the pieties of the 19th century and pitched into the pieties of the 20th. It is the beginning of the Laventille devotions. A friend notices my absence. “I didn’t see you at Laventille, you were sick?” “No, I am not a Fatima person.” Disbelief. “You don’t believe in Fatima?” “No, I don’t have to but I must believe in the Trinity.” Shock. Then curiosity. “What is the Trinity, you have a book you can lend me on it?” But he knew of Bethania, Lourdes – name it. How come the non-essentials have upstaged the essentials? With all the back to Africa business the splendid Ethiopian cross culture was of little interest, nor was Carthage of Cyrene. But then with all the talk of India few were interested in the old Indian Christians long predating Christianity in parts of Europe. Sometimes out of straight bad mind, I would bring them up – Cyrene, Carthage, the Syrian-Christians of India. They were disturbing, undermining the Christianity we wished – of the 19th century. Disturbing too Francis Xavier, the bare-footed Nuncio in Japan or Ricci, Buddhist monk then Confucianist scholar always Catholic missionary in China – undermining the missions as we wished to know them. In a country whose history is streaked through with suffering and peppered with poverty there is much of Our Lady as Queen, little of Our Lady of Sorrows. There is a noticeable absence of the Pieta in Trini devotions and a noticeable absence of devotion to the Crucifixion. I asked one priest why. “Too much suffering in our history, was the reply, “you can’t tell people to accept that now.” Really? But it is that suffering is not useless that is the Catholic ‘identity.’


Marked by the
Student Revolts


I look at the recent canonisations. Edith Stein, the Jewish convert killed in a concentration camp. There, in her story, is the anguish and tension we know well as Black Trini Catholics – and the deafness of the Church of the time. There is a Chilean trade unionist and a young French worker. These never come to us. Why not? Best avoided, disturbing France of French Revolution and worker Communist priests. Best avoided comparison with Ireland – of no interest. Best cocooned. Any wonder that it was not Vatican II which marked us, certainly not Pacem en Terres or Medellin’s Option for the Poor – but the students revolts and their aftermath. Is it that this Victorianism cements the ranking of class, colour and status within Church or society permitting the snobbery that infests us? And shaming us into silence? I get a Catholic helper. She has set out to be holy. She spends half the morning saying her rosary, walks around printy printy with a cup of coffee, leaves two hours early to go to Mt St Benedict. “Do you know the Benedictine motto?” I ask her. “It is to work and pray.” She smiles at me sweetly. “But Miss Callaghan, if I pray I can’t work.” She is praying to get a job like the CEO’s… I speak to a priest. It is a time of condoms, abortion something or other. He is upset about it but if he talks out, this one in his congregation will say this or the other that. Both are important people and may take their revenge through money or the ear of the Bishop. “Marion,” he explains, “you don’t know these people.” Priests are afraid of Syrians, French Creoles, this one who has political contacts, this one leading a Charismatic movement. And that the youth will leave if we do not move with the times. What has happened to the TT Church? Why are so many of our priests afraid – or shame? Charismatics or Pentecostal Catholics if you like, formed in the USA as a reaction to anti-Vietnamese protests, would sweep through the country. Healing, miracles, devils, anointing, slain by the Spirit, Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Saviour, Evangelical individualism of the 18th or 19th century – sweep through, replacing the Catholic Jesus Saviour of the World. Our Lady’s messages warned of the End Times as surely as the prophecies of Revelations. Spectacle Christ-ianity offshoot of spectacle entertainment, of the post student revolt and of American globalised culture would sweep through.

New Age with its pantheism, revival of the myths of Eastern mysticism, its self-esteem and think positively, its food fetishes and glorified fortune telling – also of the student revolt – would sweep through. The supermarket trolley filled with any cans you wished picked off the shelves, was matched by the supermarket religion with anything you wished, as you liked it, and the supermarket morals with anything right when I want it – sweep through. The ethnic reification of ethnic culture of the student revolts – swept through. Revolution as culture – swept through. Counsellors abounded the new feminised industry: ‘counselling’ became fashionable in a society where psychology free-floated chasing out sin, or misery or sorrow. As we sough feverishly for a Catholic identity of processions so we destroyed the Catholic identity we has. As we sought for a Caribbean Church so we stitched ourselves on to a North America in plain crisis. As slums were converted to ghettos and squatter settlements witnessed to a growing marginalisation, as crime witnessed to despair, as the middle class was increasingly impoverished and the wealthy gated themselves in a compassion less Jamaicanised distance the country had never known before, the TT Catholic Church of Pacem en Terres, and of Medellin’s option for the poor offered no alternative vision for society. A universal Church offered nothing but our own 19th century ghetto. The church of ‘Faith and Reason’ could offer no intellectual challenge. The Church of ‘neither Jew nor Gentile,’ neither slave nor free was streaked through with unresolved racism. And Catholic humanism had never arrived. Any wonder Catholics leave the Church? And yet, would you believe it, as society disintegrates ask those who long for something else — non Catholics and non-believers — do you know that their hope is still in the Catholic Church?
And last in the series next week.

Teacher caught in the act

THE EDITOR: I really would like to know the importance of moral values to some of our school teachers. Rec-ently, I was shocked to bear witness to a most appalling and disgusting event. A ‘decent’ female teacher from the school my children attend was caught in some compromising positions with a man half her age, under a step (mind you!) Behind a mall in the Point Lisas area! The commotion stirred up a frenzy among a few who were passing, when these two were caught and reprimanded by security personnel of the mall. I felt really embarrassed as my children are her students!

I am deeply concerned as to if some teachers are even worthy of shaping our tender youthful minds. Clearly this so called ‘educator’ has absolutely no regard and respect for decency and acceptable social behaviour. I ask myself here, where is the discipline, responsibility and morals which we look for in our teachers? I surely do not want my children to be taught that having sex behind a mall is an acceptable norm in society. In closing, I am calling on the Ministry of Education, as well as TTUTA, to ensure our children are given teachers we can look up to, and not those who would embarrass us!


SANDRA LOCHAN
Port-of-Spain

Political power shaped Trini culture

THE EDITOR: I have been following with interest the debate over the distribution of profits made by the National Lotteries Control Board. One columnist made the point that Indian culture cannot expect similar treatment and allocations as that given to the steelband movement because our “society” had decided a long time ago to make pan our national instrument. As Afro-Trinidadians I think we must remind ourselves that in the early stages of our development after Independence when we shaped our definition of the ‘Trini’ identity, our Indo-Trinidadian brothers and sisters were largely excluded from the process. We were in a majority and commanded political power and culture was defined by reference to urban, Afro-Creole TT. If a referendum was held in the morning the results would show that the large majority of Indo-Trinis do not accept pan as their national instrument and Afro-Trinis do not accept Indian culture as part of their “Trini” identity. Citing the lone examples of Jit Samaroo and Mungal Patasar does not alter the fact that the steelband movement comprises mainly Afro-Trinis. We should not attempt to force that as the national instrument down the throats of Indo-Trinis.


For the NLCB to say that it is supporting Trini culture in response to Sat’s complaints is to conveniently ignore the fact that the beneficiaries if these funds are mainly Afro-Trinis. This is unfair in a multi-racial society where these profits are generated by people of all races who patronise the NLCB games. National culture is not static. Nottinghill Carnival in London and Caribana in Miami are supported by the State even though it is not the white man’s culture. West Indian immigrants are influencing and shaping the culture of these countries they have settled in as they mature and become recognised as ethnic minorities. Why should we view our culture as static and deny Indo-Trinis their right to influence, shape and redefine “national culture”? Perhaps the time has come for us to revisit our notions of Trini culture. All I ask of my African brothers and sisters is to stop and think about if the shoe were on the other foot. What if the Indians had enjoyed political power for 40 years and made the dholak the national instrument — would you have forgotten the sweet sound of pan and accepted it as your national instrument?


ALVIN  BALLAH
Curepe

Leave Parliament in Red House

THE EDITOR: Society of Architects notwithstanding, the citizens will stoutly oppose any attempt to tamper with existing centres of Parliament and Justice, save for internal renovation designed to improve efficiency. Suggestions that the Red House cannot be internally modified to accommodate an even larger Parliament with modern facilities smack of architectural self interest. Should merit be established in the latter assertion, however, it would represent the most valid argument for the immediate downsizing, to significant taxpayer advantage of that centre of expensive mediocrity. With a population of 1.3 million people, a Cabinet expanded to 30+, exclusive of recycled consultants, advisors and assorted hangers on is unjustifiable — save as sinecures for family, friends and down at heel party hacks. Their contribution to the national well being, negative to date, bears no relationship to the burden they represent to the economy, save as a measure of contempt for the electorate.

To suggest that having expanded the number of pensionable parasites swilling at the public trough the citizen is now expected not only to accept the abuse of our historic centre of government but must fund more generous accommodation for the aforementioned — in the interest of more “efficient administration” — is not merely the addition of insult to injury but begs the following: when has Patrick Manning ever provided us with efficient government? How can he, when his mentor and sole exemplar omitted the page on effective administration from the blueprint which has been Manning’s only guide in office. Were it not for Robbie in ’01 and Abu in ’02, he would assuredly by now have been political history.

JOHN  VERITY
Port of Spain

What’s your priority, Mr PM?

THE EDITOR: Please permit me some space in your newspaper. This is in response to a report on the TV6 news on Thursday June 26, 2003 about the Prime Minister’s intention of using the current Health Centre in Pleasantville as a Community Centre. What are we supposed to do in the mean time? We who are the users of the health centre. Where are we supposed to go? It is cramped already where we do have to go, but what are we supposed to do with no facility available? Not everyone can afford $300 to go a paediatrician or $80-$150 to go to a general practitioner for basic vaccinations for our children and even so, for ourselves.

I am also infuriated by the statement of Mr Manning that they are looking into alternative site for the health centre. He should have had that earmarked and implemented before he even had the thought of turning the existing health centre into a Community centre. Granted yes, having a community centre is a good thing, but I consider the health of our nation’s children and senior citizens more important. I would like to know what exactly are your priorities Mr Manning? I would like to know what you consider to be important?

KAMINI  S
Cocoyea

Unoriginal slogan

THE EDITOR: Where does Basdeo Panday’s reality end and where does his fantasy begin? Who does he think he’s fooling with the slogan, “Ready to Rescue TT?” Isn’t that a blatant copy of “Save TT,” the PNM’s campaign slogan during the 2001 General Election campaign. I have no choice but to agree with many of my friends, that the UNC is bereft of any original thinking, good ideas or good intentions for this nation (as the period 1996-2001 has shown). I could be convinced otherwise, if they went back to the drawing board and came back with an original campaign slogan. Unfortunately, the UNC seems bent on convincing me that what’s theirs is not original, and what is original, isn’t theirs.


MICHAEL
MORRISON
Carenage

Crowds at peace pilgrimage

THE EDITOR: Please permit me a space in your paper to share with our readers an experience I had recently at a pilgrimage to the Aripo River. Among the escalating spate of violent crimes, increase in murders and kidnappings in our country, prayers and peace were at the fore-front for the almost 3,000 devotees who journeyed from all over the country to the Aripo River last Sunday. The Senior Superintendent and his many officers could not control the influx of yearning devotees who were led to prayer by the dynamic young Pundit Lutchmidath Persad-Maharaj of Todd’s Road who inspired the congregation in prayer for national peace and blessing.

As a young Indian, not a Hindu I was moved by the Pundit’s quotations from the Vedas, Holy Bible and the Koran as he lifted the spirits of the attentive crowd, all with prayerful hearts and tearful eyes. While the police had to block the road to control the crowds, yet the river (said to be connected to the Ganges of India) in all its peace and tranquillity offered a day away from the fear and fright of what the evening news may bring.


SATESH SOLOMON
Diego Martin

Solutions for the crime problem

THE EDITOR: It is clear that our country needs some significant reform to address the problems in our Police Service and governance, but there are things that can be done in the short term to manage the crisis that we are in. Permit me to highlight some of these measures that I think should serve as a priority list in any meaningful fight against crime:

Solutions in fight against crime:
(1) Information systems: it is absolutely necessary to implement a state-of-the-art database of criminal activity. It must be updated in real time and accessible from any police station. The first step in solving any problem is laying the facts before you.
(2) Crisis management: The Minister of National Security should be actively and publicly involved in meetings pertaining to the solving of the crisis.
This entails meeting with key bank personnel on confidentiality issues, meeting with members of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad on the progress of investigations etc.
(3) Provision of resources: Vehicles, surveillance equipment and infrastructure must be provided to the police as a matter of urgency. Even if this is a short term solution only, it is necessary because it does not make sense to have resources being channelled into other ministries when there is a clear crisis in national security — the economy doing well does not really matter if you are dead.
(4) Public relations: A key aspect of criminal activity is the confidence criminals have to commit crimes without fear of being detected.
This will only be eroded if there is a perception that something is being done. Daily press briefings and a police presence on our roads will have a significant psychological impact on persons leaning towards committing a crime.
(5) Police evidence and case-building: Despite the evidence collected in O J Simpson’s murder trial, reasonable doubt was introduced because of procedural and personality mistakes.
Police have to be trained that it is not the arrest that is important, but the evidence collected and process used that can lead to a conviction. A revolving door justice system is “spinning top in mud”.
(6) Prisoner rehabilitation: Our “don’t gave a damn” mentality with respect to human rights and criminals simply will not work.
There will come a time when prisoners are treated when incarcerated will come back to haunt us if they are released.
(7) Reduce reliance on hunches, contacts and brute force: We have to get away from the one-man show, Hollywood-type of police officer and focus on intelligent solutions and formulas that work.
In too many fronts in the Caribbean, we hope for a talented “messiah” to save us rather than using the tried and tested procedures for achieving results.
(8) Police recruitment: The Police Service must be seen as a profession rather than a career. The qualifications and criteria for promotion must be revised to ensure that only persons who can make a difference will be recruited or promoted.
Officers must be held accountable for not achieving results.
Policing is a skill — if the procedures are followed crimes will be solved. There should be no need for a minister to micro-manage the Police Service.
In the recent sniper shootings in the US the police chief managed the whole investigations including regular media briefings.
(9) Government “gang” projects. The unemployment relief programmes are leading to a gang mentality in communities. The situation is worsened by not having a clear, published policy on recruitment. As a result people are relying on affiliation and connections to get the prized career-destroying positions.
It is important that if these “relief programmes” continue they are re-engineered to ensure that persons do not become dependent on whimsical contract terms that damage their prospects of meaningful long term employment.

RISHI-NIRVAN BALROOP
Diego Martin