Impressive collection of Sir James Mancham’s possessions at the National Museum of History

It was the son of the late Sir James, Alexander Mancham, who handed over the collection to the secretary general of the Seychelles National Institute for Culture, Heritage and the Arts David Andre in a ceremony held last Saturday.

Present at the ceremony were the Minister for Internal Affairs Errol Fonseka, the family members and friends of the late Sir James, officials from the institute and staff of the museum.

Addressing those present, Mr Mancham (Jr) said the donation will be an important contribution to an already very impressive museum.

“The donation of memorabilia, awards and possessions help illustrate how decorated my father was,” he said.

“As a country, we have evolved on multifaceted levels and I feel it is important to recognise the immense contribution that someone like my father made to the history of Seychelles, and to have this accessible to members of the public.”

Among the items donated, Mr Mancham made mention of two ̶ a desk that endured hundreds or even possibly thousands of meetings that revolved around politics, business and life itself.

“A desk that endured the determination and devotion of a man with distinction and relentless dedication.”

The other set of items was an array of passports, as Sir James was always on the move, from country to country, continent to continent as a global ambassador for peace and reconciliation.

Mr Mancham described his father as a lover of life and everything beautiful, a champion of human dignity and international solidarity.

I am sure that these items from his legacy will be a great addition to the museum and will help to inspire people and further educate the youth on our history, he added.

Speaking after accepting the donation, Mr Andre said the principal role of museums is to preserve history and that museums are guardians of artefacts and documents of significant cultural, religious, scientific and historical value.

“As we celebrate our 46th Independence, we fondly remember Sir James Mancham, the first president of Seychelles, a founding father and true patriot of the Seychellois nation. We remember and honour him for his contribution to our small island nation,” he said.

“Together with his wife Kate, it was a moment of wonder and emotion to discover the wealth of treasures depicting the life of this great personality and to put together the collection for the donation we are displaying today.”

Objects of such quality and value are of utmost importance for our country and will be made available for viewing to the public, Mr Andre added.

“This gesture will allow our population and future generation better understand and learn about the history of our country and its people.”

Mr Andre echoed words of thanks to the Mancham family for the generous donation, which he said means that the legacy of Sir James as the founding president will live on for generations to come.