The Minister of Defence, Home Affairs and External Communications is a position in the Cabinet of Mauritius which heads the Ministry of Defence, Home Affairs and External Communications. Usually held by the prime minister, all of its holders since its inception have been prime ministers at the same time.
Accordingly, the current holder is the incumbent prime minister, Navin Ramgoolam, having held the office since November 2024.
History Following the independence of Mauritius in 1968, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam became prime minister, after previously being known as premier. Under his terms, Ramgoolam held the portfolio of defence and internal security. He also invariably at times in his premiership also held other portfolios whilst being prime minister. His successor, Anerood Jugnauth, also kept the two portfolios together albeit with other portfolios combined with it (Reform Institutions and Interior).
The portfolio of Home Affairs did not start to receive its current name until 1996, when it was previously known as Internal Security from its inception in 1968. Following a reshuffle in November 1996, Navin Ramgoolam became minister of Defence and Home Affairs with the title of Internal Security being retired thereafter. Successive premiers after him, the elder Jugnauth and Paul Bérenger, kept the portfolios as it was.
In 2017, following the resignation of Sir Anerood Jugnauth as prime minister, the portfolios of Defence and Home Affairs were separated for the first time in its history. The elder Jugnauth kept his portfolio as defence minister whilst his son and successor, Pravind Jugnauth, took over the portfolio of home affairs whilst combining it with the portfolios of External Communications and the National Development Unit.
After the victory of Pravind's Alliance Morisien in the elections held in 2019, he recombined the portfolios of defence and home affairs whilst also keeping the portfolio of external communications under the same ministry. His successor, Navin Ramgoolam, kept the same portfolios after his election in 2024.
List of ministers This list only takes into account persons who have held the portfolios of Defence and Home Affairs (previously known under the title of Internal Security).
Portrait Name Term of office Portfolio name Party Prime minister Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam 1968 1982 PTr S. Ramgoolam Sir Anerood Jugnauth 1982 1988 MMM A. Jugnauth MSM 1988 1990 1990 1995 Navin Ramgoolam 1995 1996 PTr N. Ramgoolam 1996 2000 Sir Anerood Jugnauth 2000 2003 MSM A. Jugnauth Paul Bérenger 2003 2005 MMM Bérenger Navin Ramgoolam 2005 2010 PTr N. Ramgoolam 2010 2014 Sir Anerood Jugnauth 2014 2017 MSM A. Jugnauth 2017 2019 P. Jugnauth Pravind Jugnauth 2017 2019 MSM 2019 2024 5 years Navin Ramgoolam 2024 Incumbent PTr N. Ramgoolam
See also
Prime Minister of Mauritius Government of Mauritius
References