Mauritius Education Minister Denies Being Attacked at CAB

Mauritius Education Minister Mahend Gungapersad used his Thursday morning press conference to address and firmly deny a rumour that had been spreading rapidly on social media — that he was physically attacked with a sandal during a public meeting at a Citizen Advice Bureau (CAB). The story had circulated in several unverified posts online, claiming that an individual had struck the minister with a flip-flop at the event. Gungapersad dismissed the account entirely, stating that he was not even present at the location at the time the alleged incident was said to have occurred. **What is a Citizen Advice Bureau?** Citizen Advice Bureaux (CABs) are government-run offices found across Mauritius where members of the public can seek assistance on administrative, social, and civic matters. They are also commonly used by ministers and elected officials to hold constituency-level meetings and engage directly with residents. **Minister Points Finger at Opposition** Gungapersad did not stop at simply denying the story. He went further, accusing what he described as a dedicated "squad" — which he attributed to opposition political parties — of deliberately manufacturing and spreading false information about him on social media. The minister did not provide specific evidence linking the posts to any named individuals or political groupings, but made clear he views the episode as part of a coordinated disinformation campaign targeting him personally. **What This Means** The incident highlights the growing role of unverified social media content in Mauritian political life. False or misleading stories about public figures — whether fabricated entirely or distorted versions of real events — can circulate quickly, particularly on platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook, which are widely used in Mauritius. For a minister to dedicate an entire press conference to rebutting a social media rumour reflects how seriously misinformation is now taken in the political arena. It also signals that the current government is sensitive to reputation attacks in the early period of its mandate, following the November 2024 general election that brought the Navin Ramgoolam-led alliance to power. No independent confirmation of the alleged incident — or of its denial — has been provided by any third-party witness or official source at this stage. Source: ION News