There is nothing in the cackling of our political hyenas to give us reason to smile. Everything, unfortunately, seems to suggest that they will engage in a deadly fight this year over any piece of skin they can sink their teeth into.

The government’s numerical weakening and its fixation on getting back the ¾ majority necessary to pass abusive laws will write a very sad chapter in our history. We will see those who had yesterday taken the moral high ground swallow whatever principles they claimed they had and, with their tail between their legs, jump on the first opportunity to get a little advantage for however little time. While this is happening, those who are in power may feel invigorated enough to start bargaining and reviewing their position. Two protagonists stand out in this category.

First, Ivan Collendavelloo, affectionately known as the Sleeping Chihuahua – who has miraculously woken up and started barking up the wrong tree – is now baring his teeth. Blaming the call centre for a problem of water he is responsible for, he has turned into a hyena, which attacked the real bulldog boss of Mauritius Telecom, who is so well-connected that no one had ever dared rub him up the wrong way. The barking will likely continue and, in an attempt to save the monarchy, may result in his getting away with biting off an even bigger chunk of power than he already has.

The biggest danger, however, may come from Roshi Bhadain. This feline started as a jaguar running in the wild and jostling everything on his way. Being way more articulate and charismatic than Pravind Jugnauth, Anerood Jugnauth found in him the son he had always wanted to have and allowed him to run free no matter what the cost was. Being shrewd and calculating, he used this opportunity to build his own empire from nothing. His ministry started gaining momentum as he nibbled more and more powers from the judiciary and became a kingdom of his own with access to all the secrets of the kings, queens and their court. He appointed his friends to various crucial positions and his own Permanent Secretary on the Integrity Reporting Board – a body which has quasi-judicial powers.

His luck ran out as soon as Pravind Jugnauth won his appeal and was promised the helm of the kingdom. Humiliated on several occasions by his new master, particularly in relation to his pet project Heritage City and when denied the control of the exchequer, he was reduced to a meek kitten which stopped purring for a long time. The kitten has now turned into another hyena and may see in the government’s actual weakness a way to take a new leap. He possesses qualities which the crown prince cruelly lacks and he has managed to get closer to his constituents and boost his own image. You will have noticed that he has recently distanced himself from the government’s decision to dismantle the BAI, gained huge mileage by openly and defiantly supporting former Air Mauritius CEO Megh Pillay against his own political master and is trying to market himself as a saviour rather than a destroyer. He also managed to throw some crumbs at carefully selected Super Cash Back Gold victims and made sure enough photos were taken to make of this ‘altruistic’ gesture an event extensively advertised on his Facebook page next to his – hold your breath – ‘60 achievements’.  

Whether he decides to wash away the humiliation by leaving the MSM – dragging with him some other frustrated party members, to launch a new party and later strike an alliance with an opposition party – or instead bite the bullet and settle for the exchequer, may decide the fate of this government and that of the country.  

It is the outcome of this deadly game of the hyenas, feeding on the carcass of what’s left of L’Alliance Lepep, which will determine how things pan out this year. Stay far enough not to be splashed by tainted blood. Watch and pray for the country. And for us all!

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