Dozens gathered Sunday at a prayer vigil in Nuku’alofa to honour and mourn the man who died on Monday.
As Kaniva News reported earlier this week, Litili Kaufusi, 39, died in a car accident after suffering a medical emergency while driving on Taufa’āhau road.
Litili ‘Ofanoa Jr Kaufusi. Photo/Supplied
Authorities were called to the scene of a road accident following reports a car had crashed onto another vehicle near the Basilica of St Anthony Padua.
The deceased was with a passenger in the car at the time of the accident, Police said.
It appeared the passenger was unharmed.
The cause of Kaufusi’s medical emergency is not yet known.
The vigil was organized by the Tonga High School Ex-Students Association 1998.
In a Facebook post, the association said that Kaufusi was a “loyal and dedicated” student and that he will be “remembered most fondly” by his classmates.
Kaufusi’s death is a tragedy, and our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time, it said.
His death came as a shock to his friends and family, especially as he was actively participating in activities preparing for the school’s 75th jubilee next month.
The prayer vigil was held at Vaiola hospital’s morgue.
A man suffering a “medical event” died yesterday after being arrested by police for trying to open the doors of cars stopped at a busy Central Auckland intersection.
The Independent Police Conduct Authority has been notified, and police will make enquiries into the death on behalf of the coroner, a police spokesperson said.
Police said officers were called to the incident at 5.45pm yesterday with “reports of a van parked in the middle of the intersection of Mt Albert Road and Dominion Road.
“Callers also advised that a man was walking on the road and had been attempting to open the doors of cars stopped at the intersection,” police said.
“Police located the man on Dominion Road a short time later and took him into custody for unlawful interference with a vehicle.”
A police spokesperson said officers took the man to Auckland District Custody Unit “however, on arrival, officers became concerned for the man’s welfare as he appeared to be suffering a medical event.
“Officers immediately transported the man to hospital,” police said.
“Sadly, he passed away a short time later.
“Our thoughts are with the man’s family and loved ones at this difficult time.”
An online fund raising set up to offer support to the family of the father and his son who died in a crash in Sacramento has raised more than $4000 so far.
(L-R): Taniela Kata, Heneli Kata and Mo’ui Kata
Taniela Kata and his son Henelī Kata died following a vehicle crash in a Californian high way about a week ago.
It can be revealed now that four of the family were in the vehicle and two other sons had survived the crash unharmed.
Taniela died in hospital about three days before the family decided to remove Heneli out of the ventilator few days later.
A GoFundMe page set up by Mo’ui Kata, the wife of Taniela and mother of Heneli says the pair had passed away and their funeral will be held next week.
The Kaniva news has not been able to verify whether the page is genuine.
The online fundraiser was launched on Thursday with the goal of raising US$30,000.
The victims “had gotten into a horrible accident“”, the text on the page, which apparently come from Taniela’s wife, Mo’ui Kata, read.
It also said: “My husband and our three sons were driving back home. On their way home they had gotten into a horrible accident. Two of the sons made it out fine. As for my husband and one of our sons, they were both injured. Sadly they had passed away and is in a better place now. Their Funeral would be held Next Week and Any donations for our family would be very helpful. Thank you for the love and support towards my family!”
It is understood the victims, from Tonga’s Houma village, Tongatapu main island, lived in Oakland, California and were heading back from Salt Lake City when the crash occurred.
The United Nations says it was unaware of any sexual harassment allegations against its Fiji multi-country office resident coordinator Sanaka Samarasinha from his previous role as the head of UN Belarus prior to being posted to Suva.
Sanaka Samarasinha has been placed on administrative leave since May 10. Photo: UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji
However, the UN confirmed it did receive a complaint against Samarasinha in 2021 about his time in Belarus that was “investigated and closed”.
On May 26, two weeks after Samarasinha was placed on administrative leave after the UN office in Fiji received “unsatisfactory conduct complaints” against him, Euroradio published a report alleging the top UN Pacific executive was suspected of sexual harassment nine years ago.
According to Euroradio, the allegation was that Samarasinha, as the UN Belarus resident coordinator in 2014, attempted to establish an informal relationship with a woman who was looking for a job at the UN in Belarus.
“We can confirm that before Samarasinha was posted as resident coordinator (RC) in Fiji, the UN was not aware of any allegations of sexual harassment made against him in his capacity as RC in Belarus from 2013-2018,” UN coordination office communications and results reporting chief Carolina Azevedo told RNZ Pacific.
But Azevedo confirmed the UN had received a complaint against him two years ago concerning his time in Belarus.
“In 2021, the UN received a complaint regarding his tenure in Belarus, which was investigated and closed,” Azevedo said.
No further details were provided on the nature of the complaint or the outcome.
RNZ Pacific has contacted Samarasinha for comment regarding the Belarus allegations but has not received a response.
When RNZ put the Fiji allegations to Samarasinha, he said he was “deeply disturbed” by the “extremely serious and damaging allegations” and referred all questions to the UN office.
Investigation ongoing
The current investigations – which began six weeks ago – are still ongoing, Azevedo said.
“These are standard global practices of the UN’s independent investigation mechanism, following the receipt of allegations of any type of misconduct,” she said.
“During this period, the independent investigators will be speaking to staff members as part of their regular investigative procedures.”
She said while the investigation was ongoing, the process was confidential.
“Therefore, we cannot comment on the ongoing investigation, nor can we predict its timeframe and outcome.”
Azevedo said the UN now has a standard practice when dealing with complaints relating to sexual harassment or sexual exploitation.
“Any UN personnel against whom an allegation of sexual harassment or sexual exploitation and abuse has been investigated and substantiated, or who have resigned prior to the conclusion of an investigation, are included in a centralised database to prevent re-employment across the UN system,” she added.
Asked why there was a lack of transparency by the UN around the investigations, Azevedo said: “The accountability process is subject to the UN’s internal legal framework, which provides procedural fairness right.”
COMMENTARY: The resignation of Immigration Minister Michael Wood has left the Tongan community in New Zealand uncertain about the future of a long looked-for amnesty for overstayers.
Immigration Minister Michael Wood this week confirmed he had sent a letter of expectations to the agency’s chief executive “setting out the Government’s expectation that these sorts of deportations should only occur in extremis – in circumstances that absolutely require it”. Photo/Supplied
Wood said during a meeting with the Tongan community in South Auckland last month that the government was considering an amnesty, but he could not say when a decision would be made.
But with an election looming, now advocates of an amnesty do not know what will happen.
Pacific community leaders and migrant groups and NGOs have long been advocating for an amnesty.
The Green Party has long called for an amnesty programme for people who have overstayed their visa and for temporary visa holders to be granted residency.
New Zealand has not had an amnesty scheme in place since 2000, when 7000 people were able to apply for residency if they were “well-settled.” There are currently an estimated 14,000 overstayers in New Zealand.
Overstayers from the Pacific Islanders were particularly vulnerable during the Covid-19 epidemic and many RSE workers were trapped for a long time.
In 2020 the Pacific Leadership Forum identified families of overstayers as being vulnerable during the COVID-19 lockdown. They petitioned Parliament for an amnesty so that overstayers could receive the full range of support from the government.
“Let us show sympathy and compassion to our most vulnerable, our overstayers,” the petition said.
The petition attracted 11,119 signatures and the Petitions Committee recommended that Parliament take note of it. In February this year – three after the petition was submitted – Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said he would look at it.
Tongan community representative Pakilau Manase Lua told RNZ recently some Tongans still had nothing to go home to after the volcanic eruption which devastated their country last year.
He said people were terrified they would be deported.
“They might have been here during the lockdowns and they couldn’t go back,” Lua told the national broadcaster.
“Or they were here on a temporary visa and it was difficult to go back due to the eruption so these people are probably wanting to find a better life, and what better place than Aotearoa New Zealand.”
“These are people who are often already working,” Lua said.
Overstayers were contributing to the economy, but were not eligible for benefits, he said.
Action needed
There are only three months left until the national election in October and there have been no further announcements about the amnesty. Some people believe that the government is unlikely to offer an amnesty, as it would be unpopular with many New Zealanders.
Some Tongan community leaders have said the government should offer a limited amnesty, similar to the one that was offered in 2000 which allowed well-settled overstayers of about 7000 to apply for residency.
A group of Irish officials who visited New Zealand earlier this year said their country had initiated a programme to allow illegal migrants to gain full legal status.
The Herald reported that the amnesty scheme was available to adults who had lived in Ireland for four years and three years for children. Asylum seekers could apply after two years.
Why cannot we have something like this here?
About 2500 Tongan overstayers have been living in New Zealand for many years and have made a valuable contribution to the country. These are the blue collar workers who do work New Zealand is inviting many Pacific island people to come and do.
These overstayers are worried about their future and the future of their families. They deserve to know what the future holds. The government needs to provide clarity so that people can plan for their lives.
A 39-year-old man died after crashing his vehicle into another vehicle in Nuku’alofa on Monday morning, police said.
Lītili Kaufusi from Haveluloto, who was working for the Ministry of Health, was picking up a guest from the Nuku’alofa Hotel in central Nuku’alofa.
Litili Kaufusi
They were heading South on Taufa’ahau Road just passed the Basilica of St Anthony Padua when they unexpectedly hit another vehicle that was in front of them.
“The passenger noticed at this time that the driver’s body stiffened, causing him to step on the gas pedal and accelerate to a speed of 70 km per hour”, the police said.
“This caused the vehicle to climb on top of the runabout at the intersection of Taufa’ahau and Mateialona Roads and it swerved to the left side of the road where it scraped the back of two vehicles at the Lulutai Airline parking lot before it ran over a vendor tent next door then crashed onto an olive tree.
The deceased was rushed to the Vaiola hospital where he later passed away at around 10.40 am on the same morning.
“The doctor’s report is still pending, but it is believed that the driver’s health condition caused him to lose control of the vehicle, leading to the accident”, a Police statement said.
“This is the fifth road death in the Kingdom so far this year. Police are urging drivers to be aware of their health conditions and to pull over if they feel unwell while driving. They are also reminding drivers to obey the speed limit and to be careful when changing lanes”.
Mourners took to Facebook to offer tributes to Kaufusi.
“Fly high, I wish I could talk to you one more time. Life is so unfair, but you will forever live in our hearts,” read one message written by one of his USP university classmates.
“Fly high Litili you’ll always be in our thoughts and prayers.”
“We lost a beloved friend, brother, and son in a tragic accident yesterday,” it said.
Firefighters have warned Auckland Council the city’s rapid growth means they sometimes run low on water to put out fires.
Fire damage at a Manukau development, from a FENZ case study included below. Photo: Supplied/ Fire and Emergency NZ
They also cannot get their trucks close to burning houses in high-density projects where buildings are packed close together.
Documents show Fire and Emergency has made multiple pleas to councils for help, saying behind closed doors that the government has overlooked the growing and serious problems.
“Demands on water to accommodate growth means there is not always sufficient water for firefighting,” FENZ told Auckland Council in a recent presentation.
Recent intensification had resulted in “inadequate reticulated water supply with insufficient pressure for firefighting to serve development”.
Carparking was filling streets and blocking fire trucks, or some roads left less than 4m of width to set up a fire truck – too narrow – and gaps of just 2 – 3m between houses was pushing up the level of destruction.
“Construction across our region is increasing the risk of fire,” FENZ said.
“Intensification and infill housing is challenging traditional access.”
Many recent developments were non-compliant but got consent anyway, FENZ said last September.
Or they were compliant, pointing to problems with the Building Code or the Act.
“Recent government changes to support growth”, such as 2022’s housing intensification laws, “do not consider the needs of emergency response in their objectives or outcomes”, FENZ added.
Water supply was vital, but the guidelines on making sure there was enough remained voluntary.
Case study
The agency detailed a case study from April 2022 that summed up all the problems.
A Manukau house under construction was destroyed, and heat from it severely damaged three homes built in closely around it.
Read the presentation:FENZ case study of Manukau House fire (17MB)
Firefighters were forced to drag hoses up a 40m-long driveway that was too narrow for a truck.
“Firefighters accessed the fire by foot … and by breaking down a fence of a neighbouring property,” FENZ’s 14-page slideshow said.
They got only half the 2000L-a-minute water flow required. The nearest hydrant was twice as far away (270m) as the ideal maximum of 135m, once hoses zigzagged corners.
They found out later the mains supply had two valves nearly closed.
The closed valves “were the cause of the lower water pressure the firefighters experienced. When we investigated after the fire, our crews opened them up again”, Watercare told RNZ.
Only authorised people should touch valves, but “people do sometimes close them themselves – for example, to stop water flow on a private leak”, it said, adding it had an audit programme for more than 100,000 valves across Auckland.
FENZ had stated Watercare approved the Manukau development’s water connections even though the engineer’s application did not include evidence “the water supply would be adequate”.
But Watercare said the evidence was not needed as, normally, with the valves open, the neighbourhood had enough water pressure “and no capacity constraints in the area”.
Watercare told RNZ in May, when asked who checked hydrants: “We have sufficient water pressure and volume available for firefighting across Auckland, and all hydrants are in good condition.”
At the Manukau fire, the home downwind of the burning building site had its top floor badly damaged.
“The level of destruction was due to wind direction, and short separation distance (1 – 3m between dwellings),” FENZ said.
The fire at the boundary was estimated as twice as hot as the Building Code allows.
But the infill development was all entirely legal, including the boundary requirements; 1m from boundary, 2m between buildings. The design was approved, but “development design created risk of fire spreading”, FENZ told the council.
They were already experiencing problems on long sites, getting to houses at the rear, it said.
Sprinklers could save many houses, but if they had them that might exhaust supply capacity, it added.
A drawing showing fire trucks at 1, 2 and 3 and their struggle to get to a fire that damaged four homes in Auckland, from a FENZ presentation to Auckland Council in 2022. Photo: Supplied/ Fire and Emergency NZ
The problems are compounded by firefighters taking slightly longer to get to fires, which FENZ puts down to traffic jams and urban sprawl, as RNZ has reported.
Also, intensification creates more building sites, and they present higher risks – about five percent of the structure fires in Auckland are at construction sites.
FENZ went on to ask Auckland Council to be allowed a say on denser housing and other law changes, backing that up with a letter to the council chief executive in May 2022, and a submission to the ongoing Unitary Plan review into densification last September.
Read the submission:FENZ Submission on notified Plan Changes 78-80 to Auckland Unitary Plan – housing water, 28/09/2022 (4MB)
“Resource consents process, building consents process and bylaw enforcement creates [sic] gaps in ensuring adequate water supply to new developments,” FENZ said.
It has also written to all other councils about working more closely with them in light of housing and transport reforms changing the landscape.
Lack of power
However, powers are lacking all around.
FENZ cannot force anyone to adopt its Code of Practice that sets water supply minimums. A Watercare bylaw mentions it, but says only that it “may” require a connection to adhere to the code.
Plus, councils “cannot make provisions under RMA for firefighters or emergency response access”, FENZ said.
“The difficult access increases the time for fire to burn, increasing the heat radiation in a confined area.
“This is resulting in development that is inaccessible or takes significantly longer to access.”
Auckland Council plans and places general manager John Duguid said their hands were tied in many respects, such as around water supply, because that came under the Building Code or the Building Act, and MBIE’s purview.
“Certainly council has pushed for some significant changes to the building code … in terms of building design issues, and also … water supply for firefighting, access of firefighting to dwellings,” Duguid said.
They made recent submissions to the ministry.
“Some of the key issues that council raised have not been addressed at this stage by MBIE,” he said.
That includes the basic problem of houses being allowed to be built much closer together, and higher.
A push for tougher fire ratings – burn time – by using less combustible materials, along with other fire protection moves, [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/490376/fire-regulation-proposal-withdrawn-just-days-before-fatal-loafers-lodge-fire
got knocked back at MBIE just last month], though the ministry said it would have another go at it.
Fire regulations are acknowledged by MBIE to be lagging reality, when it comes to intensification. However, that has not stopped infill housing proceeding apace. The lag of law can be seen in that Auckland is months away from settling on any unitary plan changes in a bid to catch up at least a little.
MBIE replies
MBIE said it had introduced fire rule changes to require interconnected smoke alarms and better exit paths from houses, which would come in gradually over a 12-month period from this November.
Other changes did not make it through.
“Submissions generally supported the intent of other proposed changes … but there was no clear consensus on the technical details. We are continuing to work with the sector to progress further work,” the ministry said on Sunday.
FENZ calls for land to be allocated for fire stations
Fire stations in Auckland, from the FENZ presentation to Auckland Council in 2022. Photo: Supplied/ Fire and Emergency NZ
FENZ in its three-pronged argument to Auckland Council, also wanted its help in designating land for fire stations as it does not have that power.
Duguid said they had been doing that.
FENZ said in a statement to RNZ that it had made a submission on the unitary plan changes and was working with the council.
Talks were carrying on about it being included as a key partner in the implementation of the council’s water strategy, and it had won recent acknowledgement of its concerns about narrow, jammed streets from Auckland Transport in its May 2023 parking strategy, FENZ said.
Eight vehicles have been impounded and nine people arrested following two gang tangi in Bay of Plenty, police say.
Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
On 11 June, a tangi in Welcome Bay involving the Greazy Dogs saw five vehicles impounded – four for failing to stop for police and one for sustained loss of traction.
Bay of Plenty district commander Superintendent Tim Anderson said two drivers had licences suspended for excessive speed and three people had appeared in court on charges relating to speeding and obstruction.
This included infringement notices for allowing passengers to ride in a dangerous manner and not wearing seatbelts, Anderson said.
Three vehicles had been impounded at this stage.
“This is on top of a successful operation on the day of the tangi and in the days following, which saw gang-related vehicles stopped and searched by Police under the Criminal Activity Intervention Legislation (CAIL) Act 2023,” Anderson said.
Nine people were arrested and three people were summonsed to appear in court.
“Those arrested and summonsed are facing a range of charges, including for firearms and drug-related offending, and possession of offensive weapons and ammunition,” Anderson said.
Henelī Kata, a Tongan man, died this afternoon (California Time) after a hospital took him off life support following a vehicle crash in Sacramento about a week ago.
Taniela Kata (L), Heneli Kata. Photo/Supplied
His father, Taniela Kata, died about three days earlier.
The Katas were rushed to the hospital after the car accident. The details of the incident were still unknown.
“Malo e Lelei kāinga and friends please take note the widow and Heneli Kata’s mother wanted you to know that at 1pm (California time) we planned to remove Heneli’s breathing machine at the hospital”, a cousin, Manu ‘Ata’ata reported on Facebook.
“Those of you who wanted to attend you are welcome”.
It is understood the victims, from Tonga’s Houma village, Tongatapu main island, lived in Oakland, California and were heading back from Salt Lake City when the crash occurred.
A live streaming video posted to Facebook which appeared to have been taken at the hospital room where Heneli was laid had attracted reactions and people offering their sympathies and paying tribute on the thread below.
“Heneli touched so many lives with his kindness & I know we are all broken by this sad news”, a commenter wrote.
“So very sad – my condolences to Taniela and Heneli, his family and to his many friends”, another wrote.
“A truly inspirational young man”, one wrote.
“My condolences to the Kata family. This is a tragic loss”.
