Heartbroken families, relatives and friends of four Tongan victims who died at Kaipara harbour in New Zealand Saturday 26 sent their tala kāinga online.
Tala kāinga (tell the relatives or kāinga) is the practice in which a Tongan family formally contact their immediate family and relatives to let them know a very important event had happened within the family either it was a birthday, wedding or a funeral.
We now know that the victims’ names are Fonua ‘Āmanu Tāufa, Tēvita Tangi, Alipate Manumuʻa and Sūnia ‘Ungoʻunga.
Their friends and relatives who were tagged in status and posts on Facebook about the tragedy had shown great surprise and astonishment.
The victims were among the seven fishermen who have died after the doomed charter fishing boat they hired had capsized near Kaipara Harbour’s North Head.
Some Facebook users posted Tongan hymns and biblical verses as their tributes and supports for the families of the victims.
References to the victims’ birth places’ nicknames as well as lyric and poetical verses could be seen on social media, an essential part of the tala kāinga.
‘Isapela Toluta’u posted an emotional tribute to Taufa on Facebook and she metaphorically mentioned the nickname of the village of Navutoka, Funga’onetaka, as it had been weeping.
“The Fungaʻonetaka is tearful and wearing “tauanga’a” (black clothes) because of an unexpected farewell had occurred. We were looking forward to December 15 before you arrive but that would not happen because of God’s unforeseeable natural phenomenon”(translated)
Tāufa is survived by his wife and children.
Tevita Tangi’s sister Rosita Tangi sent her love to her brother on Facebook.
“I love you David”, she posted.
She told Kaniva News she wanted to talk to the rest of the family first before she could speak to us about her deceased brother.
Tevita was a bar bouncer and before he died he used to work at the Tongan bar and night club in Manukau known as Waterfall.
He is also survived by his wife and children.
Manumu’a worked at Independent Liquor while Ungo’unga worked as a glass worker.
They were cousins and fathers.
Police said 11 people are believed to have been on-board the vessel. Three survivors were taken to hospital and one person presumed dead was still missing. All of them were of Pacific island descent including Samoa and Cook Island except for the skipper, Bill McNatty.
It has also been reported the skipper and some fishermen on board the charter boat Francie on Friday weren’t wearing lifejackets, despite the rough conditions.
Police have been told there were lifejackets on board, but it was not yet known if they were being worn.
The victims went fishing each weekend and charter the 12m boat with friends about once a month.
The sea was quite rough and there were reported swells of more than 1.5m and strong winds in the area on Saturday.
New Zealand Herald online has quoted the former owner of the Francie as saying the boat should not have been operating or attempting to cross the bar in the rough conditions on Saturday.
The boat was made out of steel and can carry a maximum 20 passengers and two crew.
Inquiries were being made into what caused the maritime tragedy and how those on board ended up in the water.
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