One year death anniversary of founding President Sir James Mancham |09 January 2018

Remembering Sir James

A year ago yesterday the founding father of the Republic of Seychelles and our country’s first President, Sir James Richard Marie Mancham passed away in his sleep.

Given a state funeral with full military honours, Sir James was laid to rest in the State House cemetery on January 12 following a religious ceremony led by Bishop Denis Wiehe at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

The former president’s funeral which was broadcast live on Seychelles' national television and radio stations started in the morning at the Palais des Sports where the body of the deceased was exposed for public viewing.

Sir James passed away peacefully in his sleep at his residence at Glacis on that Sunday morning.

He is the first former Head of State buried at State House.  

Sir James was a philosopher, a writer and a poet and also a parliamentarian from 1964 to 1970 and from 1993 to 1998 in the Third Republic.

The following lines are taken from the book ‘Peace of Mind’ – a collection of thoughts and reflections by Sir James:

Along life’s sandy shores

Let me leave behind my

humble footprints

Until the tide will come in

To wash them away

For no matter how one is moulded today

Time and tide waits for no man

And the ravaging waves of history

Soon cast one unto its wilderness

A forgotten being in the mists of a bygone past