SBC Inaugurates New Headquarters After Years of Delays and Millions Spent
Union Vale, Seychelles – The Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation finally inaugurated its long-delayed headquarters at Union Vale on Thursday, with President Patrick Herminie, Vice-President Sebastien Pillay, and other officials attending a ceremony celebrating a project that has cost taxpayers an estimated US$14 million.
The move from SBC’s decades-old Hermitage location to the new Union Vale facility comes after significant delays and cost overruns in a project funded by China that began construction in April 2019 – seven years ago.
From US$14 Million to What, Exactly?
The new SBC House, built by Chinese contractor Hunan No.6 Engineering Co. Ltd., was pitched as a state-of-the-art broadcasting facility featuring three specialized blocks for radio, television, and administrative offices, all equipped with “cutting-edge technology.”
Chairman Gérard Lafortune called the building “more than just a workplace” and encouraged staff to “care for it, utilise it wisely, and fully embrace the opportunities it offers.”
But with a price tag of US$14 million for a building that took seven years to complete – including significant delays due to COVID-19 and what the broadcaster euphemistically called “technical challenges” – taxpayers are entitled to ask: what exactly did we get for our money?
Chinese Funding, Chinese Construction – Seychellois Debt
Like many infrastructure projects in Seychelles, SBC House was financed by China, raising questions about the terms of this financing and what obligations the government has taken on. Details of the loan agreement, interest rates, and repayment schedule have not been made public – a pattern of opacity that has become all too familiar with Chinese-funded projects.
Deputy CEO Natalie Rose praised the facility’s “contemporary design, expanded space, and advanced equipment,” suggesting it will enable “fresh content and innovative ideas.” CEO Bernard Dupres added spiritual dimensions, thanking “God for our unity” and asking the Almighty to “fortify SBC in this new chapter.”
Noticeably absent from the speeches was any acknowledgment of the project’s delays, any explanation of cost overruns, or any accountability for a seven-year construction timeline for what is essentially an office building.
State Broadcaster in a Gilded Cage
The timing of this inauguration, coming just days after the government-owned NATION newspaper celebrated its 50th anniversary with Vice-Presidential attendance, highlights an uncomfortable reality: state media in Seychelles enjoys lavish government investment while independent media struggles.
SBC, like NATION, functions primarily as a government mouthpiece. The question Seychellois should be asking is whether US$14 million was well spent on a broadcaster that rarely questions government policy, rarely investigates official wrongdoing, and primarily serves to amplify administration messaging.
Staff Performances and Political Theater
The evening event featured “performances by SBC staff showcasing poetry, dance, and singing,” followed by VIP tours and refreshments – a celebration befitting a corporate product launch rather than a public service broadcaster accountable to citizens.
That SBC staff performed songs and dances while President Herminie toured the facility speaks volumes about the broadcaster’s relationship with political power. Can journalists who perform for the President credibly hold that same President accountable?
Union Vale: Symbol of What, Exactly?
Lafortune described the new facility as embodying “a responsibility,” encouraging staff to use it wisely. But the real responsibility is to the Seychellois people who funded this US$14 million building: to provide independent, critical journalism that serves the public interest, not government propaganda in a shiny new package.
As SBC settles into its Chinese-financed headquarters after seven years of delays, the fundamental question remains unanswered: will this expensive new building change anything about the broadcaster’s editorial approach, or is it simply a more expensive venue for the same state-controlled messaging?
For US$14 million and seven years of waiting, Seychellois deserve more than better studios for government press releases. They deserve a broadcaster that justifies the investment with fearless, independent journalism.
