The Ministry of Arts and Cultural Heritage in collaboration with the Morne Heritage Trust Fund is completing preparations to commemorate the 187th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in Mauritius on 1 February 2022. A wreath-laying ceremony will take place at the “Monument aux Esclaves”, Pointe Canon, Mahebourg, on Monday 31 January 2022 at 5 pm. On February 01, 2022, the day of the commemoration, a wreath laying ceremony will also take place at the International Slave Route Monument at 10:00 am. Wreath-laying ceremonies will be conducted in accordance with health protocols.
The following activities would also be organized:
- an exhibition on the theme – “Our History, Our Heritage” by the Nelson Mandela Centre for African Culture in collaboration with the National Art Gallery from 28 January to 28 February 2022 at “Lespas Lar” at La Tour Koenig; and
- workshops by Le Morne Heritage Trust Fund to sensitise the inhabitants of the village on the different facilities being offered to fishers by Government. Similar workshops would be held to promote economic empowerment in the agriculture and SME sectors.
It should be remembered that it was the Dutch who introduced slavery in Mauritius in the 16th century. As in Reunion Island, they worked mainly in the sugar cane, coffee and spice plantations.
66 000 slaves on the island of France
At the time of the abolition of slavery, the island of France had more than 66,000 slaves. More than half of them were servants. As in Reunion, the 118 large landowners were compensated for the loss of their servile population. Money reinvested in the construction of sugar factories that increased on the island.
Slavery gave way to engagement, with the arrival of several thousand Indians on the island. They took over the plantations, allowing Mauritius to become prosperous.
