THE case is taking an embarrassing turn for the cultural and judicial authorities. As the Seychelles Authors and Composers Society (SACS) celebrates its 20th anniversary, a collective of artists and producers is denouncing what they describe as one of the biggest cultural scams of the past two decades. At the heart of the controversy, repeated non-payment of royalties and the impunity of a system that seems to operate without oversight or accountability.
“SACS is an empty shell. It collects but doesn’t redistribute. It feels like a hidden tax, but one from which artists receive nothing,” summarised a frustrated music producer.
Created to protect creators, SACS was supposed to be a shield against intellectual property theft. However, according to several members of the collective, the payments are low and inconsistent. Some haven’t received a single cent in over two years, despite their work being regularly broadcast on national airwaves, SBC Radio, Pure FM, and K-Radio, or played in nightclubs, bars, and other establishments that profit from music.
According to the testimonies collected, producers are the most affected. “I’m behind most of the hits from the past ten years, and yet I’ve never received more than SCR 5,000 in a year. Some years, nothing at all. If the system worked, I’d be a millionaire,” confided another producer.
The most troubling issue is the redistribution system. SACS claims that each commercial use of a song generates 5 rupees, a portion of which goes to the artist. But once SACS takes its commission, the final amount shared between producer, performer, lyricist, and composer barely amounts to a few cents. “You have to call them yourself to find out if you have royalties. Otherwise, they don’t say anything. How is that normal? It’s a scam,” said one member of the collective.
What’s most alarming is the indifference of the judicial institutions. Despite numerous red flags, no official investigation, no independent audit, and no intervention from the Attorney General’s office has taken place. SACS continues to operate in total opacity.
Galen Bresson, a representative of SACS, is trying to calm the storm. “We haven’t yet distributed the royalties for 2024, but we are fulfilling our commitments. We’re not the government; we don’t have a budget. Only one person is managing the entire administration,” he explained, blaming a vague legal framework.
Bresson also admitted that only SBC pays royalties to SACS, suggesting that other radio stations, bars, and venues do not contribute. “The copyright law is not respected, and those who break it are never sanctioned,” he confessed.When SACS was created in 2005, its first president, David André, declared, “These payments are not just about collecting money but about encouraging artists to produce quality music for everyone’s enjoyment.”
Twenty years later, that ideal has turned into a mirage. The artists are tired, disrespected, and betrayed, while the justice system seems deaf and blind to a situation that should have triggered action long ago. Faced with inaction, some artists are looking to international rights management societies like SACEM. What is certain is that the silence of the authorities has allowed this system to persist.
The Chairman of the Seychelles Authors and Composers Society (SACS) is David Andre, who also serves as the Secretary General of the Institute of Culture, Heritage, and the Arts. Despite holding this leadership position for the past ten years, his tenure at SACS has been largely underwhelming. While he made numerous promises to improve the welfare of artists, tangible results have been few and far between—leaving many to view his leadership as that of a sleeping giant.
