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Crash driver on learner’s licence, outpouring for Tongan victims

By
Kalino Latu
-

The driver of the car that killed a father and son and two brothers-in-law including himself when it collided with an unladen logging truck on Dawson Rd off State Highway near Katikati, New Zealand was on a learner’s licence.

Halani Fine, 28, was driving his car from the Aongatete Coolhouse when it collided with the truck on Tuesday 2.

Sitiveni Vaipulu, 44, his son Koli Vaipulu, 21, Sione Teulaka, 21 and his brother-in-law Samuela Taukatelata, 29, did not survive the tragedy.

Fine’s body had been returned to his family in Northshore while the rest of the victims were expected to arrive in Tonga next Friday.

New Zealand Police Sergeant and Pacific Liaison District Coordinator Sanalio Kaihau confirmed in last night’s remembrance ceremony for the crash victims Fine was on a learner licence. Learner drivers must have a supervisor sitting in the front passenger seat. The supervisor is responsible for everyone in the car.

Following the tragic news, a Tongan Community Leader set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to help the family cover funeral expenses and any additional expenses they may incur.

“Organizing on behalf of the Tongan community to fundraise to support the families of the deceased,” the page said.

“Funds will be paid to a verified bank account of Melino Maka on behalf of The Families of Halani Fine, Koli Vaipulu, Sitiveni Vaipulu, Sione Teulaka, and Samuela Taukatelata”.

This afternoon – 48 hours after the page was launched – donations exceeded $1,000.

Mele
Mele, Halani’s mother with a photo of Halani. Photo/Kalino Latu

The Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment offered a message of condolence.

“On behalf of our Manager George Rarere, our Pacific Labour & Skills Unit and RSE family, I convey our collective deepest sympathies to the families of all five men, including the Vaipulu family, who have lost two loved family members (Father and son) in this tragic crash. Our thoughts are also with the Tongan RSE Team of Minister Vakata, CEO Ana Bing Fonua, ‘Akanesi ‘Otunuku and Sefita Hao’uli, as well as the RSE employer Aongatete and all the RSE Tongan workers.

“Our Team are continuing to work closely with the different stakeholders in both New Zealand and Tonga to ensure all requirements and expectations are address and adequately met.

“This tragic accident has highlighted the need to further enforce upon our RSE workers/drivers to please take care and drive to the conditions, as we don’t want to see anyone else needlessly lose their lives”.

“May the grace of our Heavenly Father be with our Tonga Family to provide support and comfort in this time of sorrow and pain.

Fine’s mother Mele told Kaniva News his son was very fond of music.

She said his son makes used of his talent to entertain the poor and the elderly.

She said Halani regularly went to rest homes and performed music and singing to the elderly.

As we reported earlier this morning Mele said:

“I am sorry and I deeply felt for the families of those who were killed in the crash”, she said in Tongan.

“I wish they forgive my son”, she said.

“My son was religious and he died while he was working to fulfil his dream to become a church missionary

“He went to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Island and those countries to spread the word of God

“He came here to Aongatete to work for his school fees so he can continue studying.

“I have no words to express how I feel about the tragedy”, Mele said.

READ MORE:

Crash victims honoured; “I am sorry”, Halani’s mother says

Crash victims honoured; “I am sorry”, Halani’s mother says

By
Kalino Latu
-

Grieving families and community members gathered to honour loved ones killed in the logging truck crash – two days on from the tragedy.

Sitiveni Vaipulu, 44, his son Koli Vaipulu, 21, Sione Teulaka, 21, Halani Fine, 29, and Samuela Taukatelata, 28, did not survive the collision near their workplace on Tuesday.

Their bodies were released by the coroner to their various families yesterday.

The body of Fine has been taken to Northshore, New Zealand  to his family last night while the other four bodies were expected to arrive in Tonga next Friday.

In an emotional hour and a half remembrance ceremony at Christian Centre on Henry Rd in Katikati last night more than 500 people came together in support of the grieving families and those killed in the crash.

Wearing black clothes and taʻovala by most Tongans the community joined together to grieve and pledge peace, with speeches, hymns and prayers organised by the Katikati Tongan community and RSE Tongan Liason Officer Sefita Hao’uli.

Immediate family members and co-workers of the victims were visibly devastated during the services.

IMG_1351 (2)
Mele  said she wished the families of the victims forgive her son. Photo/Kalino Latu

The church was adorned with Tongan koloa faka-Tonga and pictures of the victims were placed in front by the stage.

About half of those attended came out of town.

Halani Fine’s mother Mele told Kaniva News last night she was devastated by what had happened.

Her son was the driver of the car when the tragedy struck.

IMG_1327 (2)
‘Ana Kava (2nd right) and some of the Katikati community members

“I am sorry and I deeply felt for the families of those who were killed in the crash”, Mele said in Tongan.

“I wish they forgive my son”, she said.

“My son was religious and he died while he was working to fulfil his dream to become a church missionary

“He went to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Island and those countries to spread the word of God

“He came here to Aongatete to work for his school fees so he can continue studying.

“I have no words to express how I feel about the tragedy”, Mele said.

The prayer service was led by Rev Fono ʻAhio.

IMG_1387 (2)

 

 

 

Politicians were present, too: Pacific Peoples’ Minister Sam Lotu Iga, Tongan Labour MP Jenny Salesa, Coromandel MP Scott Simpson and Western Bay Mayor Ross Paterson.

Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva criticized over not visiting Tongan victims in Katikati

By
Kalino Latu
-

Critics say the Prime Minister of Tonga’s decision to cancel his plan to travel from Auckland to Katikati to see the bodies of  five Tongans who died after Tuesday’s horrific crash showed lack of leadership.

Sitiveni, 44,  his son Koli Vaipulu, 21, Sione Teulaka, 21,  Halani Fine, 29  and Samuela Taukatelata, 28, were all tragically killed in a crash with an empty logging truck near Katikati.

Prime Minister ʻAkilisi Pōhiva told New Zealand media yesterday he “must” go to Katikati to meet the families and see the deceased today.

Hon Pōhiva is in New Zealand on his first state visit and he was expected to leave for Tonga this Saturday.

However Sefita Haoʻuli, who coordinates the Tongan RSE workers in New Zealand and is currently in Katikati to organise services for the victims said last night Hon Pohiva could not make it to meet the families of the victims.

He said he was told Hon Pōhiva was expected to welcome the deceased bodies when they arrive in the kingdom.

Only four of the victims would be returned to Tonga.

The body of Halani Fine was expected to be buried in Northshore, New Zealand.

Hon Pōhiva was expected to hold a business meeting with the Henderson Car yard management in South Auckland this evening.

Vaʻa Taliaʻuli the Tongan sale manager at the Henderson said they invited the Prime Minister because of his role as president of Tonga Rugby Union.

Taliaʻuli said the company has sponsored the Manu Samoa and they wanted to do the same thing for the ‘Ikaletahi.

That’s the only agenda why the Prime Minister is here because we wanted to help the ‘Ikaletahi, Taliaʻuli said.

Melino Maka of the Tonga Advisory Council in New Zealand said the Prime Minister’s decision to skip attending the services for the victims in Katikati this evening is an embarrassment.

He said the tragedy hit the Tongan community hard and while the Prime Minister was here at where the incident occurred he did not go there.

Tongan Community Leader in Auckland Sālote Heletā Lilo said she respected whatever reasons that may have caused the Prime Minister to cancel his travel to Katikati.

May be there was an important commitment for him or he was not in a good health condition, Lilo said. But he should send someone from his delegation to represent him. It was important for him to be there.

In 2009 the government’s MV Princess Ashika went aground killing 73 innocent lives in Tonga.

Two days later the then King George V left for Britain on a holiday trip while searchers combing the Pacific ocean for signs of the missing ill-fated vessel and the victims.

Bodies of Tongan victims released; distressed sister “ran past long queue” to horror scene

By
Kalino Latu
-

Sitīveni Vaipulu’s sister Meleane Prescott said it was the most heart-breaking message she ever received when she got a telephone call his brother was killed together with his son in a fatal crash.

Sitiveni, 44,  his son Koli Vaipulu, 21, along with three Tongan co-workers did not survive a tragedy that hit after their car was struck by a southbound logging truck on Tuesday 2.

The bodies of the Vaipulus, Sione Teulaka, 21,  Halani Fine, 29,  and Samuela Taukatelata, 28,  were expected to be released to their various families this afternoon.

Four of the victims came from Tonga while Fine was a local resident.

Teulaka and Taukatelata were brothers-in-law.

Fine’s body will be buried in Northshore.

The bodies of the Vaipulus, Taukatelata and Teulaka will be returned to Tonga.

Putu
Families of the victims meeting with Sefita Hao’uli at the Aongatete packhouse. Photo/Kalino Latu

Prescott told Kaniva News she and all the victims worked at the Aongatete Coolstore.

She said she brought Sitiveni and his son from Tonga to come and work with her at the Aongatete and before her brother and her nephew died they were staying with her family in Katikati.

Prescott said they finished their 8pm shift on Tuesday and they left work.

She said she headed home to prepare their dinner.

She stopped by a dairy for a shopping before her mobile phone rang.

“I can’t believe it but I know I must go there to see”, she said.

It was not long from where I left I could see the road was totally blocked by a long queue of vehicles.

“I parked my car on the road and stepped down crying and ran past the long queue to see them”, Prescott said, choking back tears.

It’s so heart-breaking, it’s a total shock to me and my family and we don’t know how to deal with it, she said.

Prescott described Sitiveni as loving, humble and hard working person.

She compared his son to him. He was a cool and hardworking boy, Prescott said.

A brother of Taukatelata said his brother married to a sister of Teulaka.

They came together from Tonga to work here, he said.

He said their bodies will be returned to Tonga but it depends on what the coroner report would recommend on their condition.

The families and RSE workers in Katikati met with RSE Tongan Liaison Officer Sefita Hao’uli at the Aogatele Coolstore last night.

The Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva said he “must” come to Katikati today and pay his respect to the victims but according to Hao’uli, the visit was cancelled last night.

This evening there will be a church service in Katikati conducted by the Tongan community at Christian Centre, Henry Road, Katikati at 7.30pm.

Some of the Tongan community leaders in Auckland were expected to attend including Pacific Affairs Minister Sam Lotu Iga and the Tongan Labour Party MP Jenny Salesa.

Grief as Tongan fatal crash victims’ names including father and son emerge

By
Kalino Latu
-

A father and his son were two of the five Tongan people killed in a horror crash near Tauranga in New Zealand last night.

Sitiveni Vaipulu and his son Koli Vaipulu of Faleloa, Ha’apai and  ‘Āhau in Tongatapu died when the car they were travelling in with three others collided with a southbound logging truck near Katikati.

The three other victims are Halani Fine, Sione Teulaka and Samuela Taukatelata.

Sitiveni’s first cousin Tanya Akosita Tupou told Kaniva News Sitiveni and his son are survived by his wife and mother to their son, ‘Ana with four children.

She said ‘Ana and the rest of the children were staying in ‘Āhau  while Sitiveni and their son Koli were in New Zealand to work through the RSE programme.

RSE Tongan liaison officer in New Zealand Sefita Haoʻuli said the victims were hired by the Aongatete Coolstores  as an option two.

This means four of the victims came to New Zealand on contracts they directly made with Aongatete and not through the kingdom’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The other victim is a local resident.

“But sad to see this nevertheless”, Haoʻuli said.

He said he will travel from Auckland this morning to Katikati to see the victims.

The victims were all workers at Aongatete Coolstores and had just finished their shift before the tragedy struck.

The truck driver was shaken but uninjured.

Tongan overseas deportees discussed in Auckland; NZ and Aust approached for rehab facility

By
Kalino Latu
-

Tongan Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva has told his New Zealand counterpart John Key that he is concerned about high risk deportees being sent back to the kingdom.

Hon. Pohiva said the Tongan government was not told about the crimes they had committed overseas.

The Tongan Prime Minister told a Tongan audience in Mangere this evening this put Tongan society at risk.

After the deportees arrived in Tonga they were released into the community and there was nothing the government could do to make sure they would do no more harm to the society.

Hon. Pohiva said it was important for the government to be informed so they could alert people if any criminal deportees moved into the community.

Chief Secretary Dr Palenitina Langa’oi, who accompanied Hon. Pohiva to the meeting, told the audience New Zealand had agreed it would send  profiles and background reports of deportees to the Tongan authority.

Dr Langa’oi said they had agreed that the files of the deportees must be sent as soon as New Zealand could possibly can.

 Rehabilitation facility

Tonga’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Vaʻinga Tōnē who was also in the meeting, told the audience there had been discussion with the governments of New Zealand and Australia to help fund a rehabilitation facility in Tonga.

He said this was a big issue for Tonga, especially for deportees who were sent directly from prison to Tonga and did not usually join any rehabilitation programmes after their release.

In November last year it was reported that Patrick ʻUnga, who had received a life sentence for murdering his fiancé in New Zealand in 2003, killed again in Tonga only a few months after his deportation to Tonga.

He was sentenced to more than 12 years in jail for manslaughter after the death of Sitanilei Sime in Nuku’alofa in April 2014.

The main points

  • Tongan Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva has told his New Zealand counterpart John Key that he is concerned about high risk deportees being sent back to the kingdom.
  • Pohiva said the Tongan government was not told about the crimes they had committed overseas.
  • The Tongan Prime Minister told a Tongan audience in Mangere this evening this put Tongan society at risk.
  • After the deportees arrived in Tonga they were released into the community and there was nothing the government could do to make sure they would do no more harm to the society.

For more information

Tongan noble concerns over number of criminal deportees

Five believed Tongans killed in horror crash near Tauranga

By
Kaniva Staff
-

Five people believed to be Tongan kiwifruit packhouse workers have died in a horror crash on State Highway 2 near Katikati tonight.

It is understood all of the victims were travelling in the car which had just pulled out of the Aongatete Coolstores on the corner of Dawson Rd.

Police said the car was struck by a southbound truck and trailer.

All five occupants of the car were killed. The truck driver was uninjured, Police said.

Aongatete Coolstores Limited Managing Director Allan Dawson reportedly said he believed the five that died were Tongan packers at his packhouse.

Mr Dawson said a staff member told him those involved in the crash had just finished an 8pm shift and were in a car turning right out of Dawson Rd onto State Highway 2 towards Katikati when they collided with a truck.

“We are certainly shocked and will try to do whatever we can,” he said.

Noble MPs vow to topple government with no confidence motion when Parliament resumes

By
Kalino Latu
-

Tonga’s noble MPs have pledged to topple ‘Akilisi Pōhiva’s government with a no-confidence motion, saying the Prime Minister had failed to deliver transparency and accountability he promised voters.

Lord Vaea confirmed the move to Kaniva News on Planet FM 104.6 this morning.

The Tongan language talkback programme was co-hosted by Kalino Lātū of the Kaniva Pacific News and Kite Tuʻakalau of Dateline Tonga.

It was originally planned that Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva would join the discussion over the phone, but we were eventually told he could not be available.

Lord Vaea, the Leader of the Opposition was in Auckland as one of the delegates accompanying Hon. Pōhiva’s state visit.

Lord Vaea said the House would resume on August 15 and the vote of no confidence would be the nobles’ priority.

He said they wanted to oust Hon. Pohiva because in 18 months in office his government had failed in many respects.

This including the controversial change in the Ministry of Education’s examination assessment policy from standardisation to raw marks.

He said the change had badly affected students and parents.

The restoration of the Sunday Trade Ban law has also hugely affected the business community.

He said an inconsistency in how the government handled the CEDAW convention had not reflected well on the Prime Minister after his government went back on its ratification because there were protest marches back in the kingdom.

Lord Vaea said an outgoing  government minister had been declared corrupt by a parliamentary committee, but escaped being expelled from Parliament because Pōhiva and his government won the vote.

However, a Supreme Court decision led to him being ordered to vacate his seat in Parliament.

Independents

Asked whether or not they would trade with the independents and offer them the premiership and deputy positions, Lord Vaea said the posts were “pelepelengesi” (fragile)  and they should not be used to seek personal advantages.

The Opposition Leader said they had nine noble MPs with a few independents on their side, while Hon Pohiva’s side had 14 or 15 which was obviously a large number to deal with.

He said the election of Hon. Pohiva to the premiership was successfully supported by some of the independent MPs.

Lord Vaea said he was also concerned at how the government repeatedly dealt with the government civil servants’ pay and appeared to have no policy in place for the youth and unemployment.

He was asked if the nobles would become the government after the vote of no confidence and what difference they could make in running the government.

Lord Vaea said there were two types of people in Tonga apart from those in the mainland Tongatapu, the youth and those in the outer islands.

He said young people made up almost half the Tongan population.

Lord Vaea said the government should seriously consider the people who lived in the outer islands because they struggled to find education and employment.

Talk back callers

A caller to the programme who identified himself as Heneli asked Lord Vaea how he thought the nine noble MPs could take part in the vote of no confidence when the nobles were not elected by the people.

Lord Vaea said the nobles were responsible to the nation because they held the “tofiʻa” (estates). He said they were in Parliament as representatives of all districts in Tonga.

He said that during the past 200 years it was the “houʻeiki” (nobles) who welcomed Christianity and Education into Tonga.

Another caller by the name of Mōsese said there was nothing new in what Lord Vaea was referring to in their policies if they became the government.

He said those policies had been promoted by Hon. Pōhiva many times before.

However, Lord Vaea said the timing and how these policies were put into action made a big difference.

The  main points

  • Tonga’s noble MPs have pledged to topple ‘Akilisi Pōhiva’s government with a no-confidence motion, saying the Prime Minister had failed to deliver transparency and accountability he promised voters.
  • Lord Vaea confirmed the move to Kaniva News on Planet FM 104.6 this morning.
  • It was originally planned that Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva would join the discussion over the phone, but we were eventually told he could not be available.
  • Lord Vaea, the Leader of the Opposition was in Auckland as one of the delegates accompanying Hon. Pōhiva’s state visit.

Government considers not giving fund to TASANOC after Sevele was re-elected

By
Kalino Latu
-

Tonga’s Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva says his government may withdraw all funding to TASANOC for Pacific Games preparations.

The announcement follows TASANOC’s re-election of Lord Sevele as vice president finance.

Pohiva said his government stood by its decision two months ago to terminate Lord Sevele’s office as Chairman and CEO of the Pacific Organising Committee.

He said the decision was made after the Government Facility Committee (GFC) took over the majority of the Pacific Game’s Organising Committee.

A government statement described the role of GFC as having inherited more than 60 percent of the responsibilities of the Organising Committee.

Last month new officials for TASANOC were elected on a four-year term contract. They were:

President: Lord Tupou

Vice President-Finance: Lord Sevele

Members:

1.‘Amanaki Fakakovikaetau

2.Michael Bloomfield

3.Lord Vaea

4.Viola Ulakai

5.Sione Taumoepeau

The election was attended by Vidhya Lakhan, President of the Pacific Games Council (PGC) who was appointed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Oceania National Olympic Committee (ONOC) as its representative.

The main points

  • Tonga’s Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva says his government may withdraw all funding to TASANOC for Pacific Games preparations.
  • The announcement follows TASANOC’s re-election of Lord Sevele as vice president finance.
  • Pohiva said his government stood by its decision to terminate Lord Sevele’s role as Chairman and CEO of the Pacific Organising Committee.

For more information

TASANOC elections face legal challenge as anti-Pohiva candidates elected to committee

Disgruntled lay preachers break away to begin SUTT church in New Zealand

By
Kalino Latu
-

Three lay preachers who claim they were stripped of their roles with the Tuingapapai Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga New Zealand in Otahuhu will officially launch the Siasi Uesiliana Tau’ataina ‘o Tonga (SUTT) in New Zealand tomorrow.

Sione Fono Latu, ‘Isileli Tonga and Siulolo Malamala are reported to have claimed the Church’s board of trustees was dissatisfied when it learned they had obtained the sole official right to make, use or sell the name SUTT.

The acronym is Tongan for FWCTNZ or Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga New Zealand.

Tonga said they were told by the church their roles had been removed pending a decision at the church’s September quarterly meeting.

He said since then nothing had happened and no one from the church had visited them.

Tonga told Kakalu ‘O Tonga newspaper the first service for the SUTT church in New Zealand would be held tomorrow Sunday July 31.

He reportedly said they registered the name SUTT because Tuingapapai superintendent Rev. Lopini Filise and the church’s lawyer had re-registered the church as the FWCTNZ.

When the change was made it left no SUTT churches in New Zealand.

Tonga is reported to have said he and his partners feared someone else might register for the name so they decided to do it first.

He said their intension was to keep the name for the church, but they did not know their action would infuriate the Tuingapapai authority.

Tuingapapai Superintendent Minister Rev. Lopini Filise told the paper the Tuingapapai church was still available and open to the disgruntled lay preachers.

The SUTT church’s general secretary in Tonga, Dr. Tevita Koloaʻia Havea, told Kaniva News if some people from the Tuingapapai church had left and established a new church that was a brilliant idea.

“They will be happy with it and free to do their prayers according to what they want”, Dr. Havea said.

Dr. Havea said he wished the lay preachers well.

Kaniva News was unable to contact Tonga for comment this evening.

The new church came after hundreds of members of the SUTT church in Sydney split last August after three pastors of the Pulela’a SUTT church refused to obey the Tongan conference and return to Tonga to work under the control of the President.

The Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga New Zealand’s official website still uses the abbreviation SUTT.

In 2013 hundreds of the Tokaikolo congregants in Auckland defected and started the Mo‘ui Fo‘ou ‘Ia Kalaisi Fellowship.

The new church now operates in Otahuhu in South Auckland.

The main points

  • Three lay preachers who claim they were stripped of their roles with the Tuingapapai Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga New Zealand in Otahuhu will officially launch the Siasi Uesiliana Tau’ataina ‘o Tonga (SUTT) in New Zealand tomorrow.
  • Sione Fono Latu, ‘Isileli Tonga and Siulolo Malamala are reported to have claimed the Church’s board of trustees was dissatisfied when it learned they hadobtained the sole right to make, use or sell the name SUTT.
  • The acronym is Tongan for FWCTNZ or Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga New Zealand.
  • The new church came after hundreds of members of the SUTT church in Sydney broke away split last August.

For more information

Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga New Zealand 

Scuffle breaks out during ‘fakakuata’ meeting in Australia (Kaniva News)

Correction

In the original version of this story Kaniva News described Latu, Tonga and Malamala as ministers. They are in fact members of the congregation who are authorised to preach from the pulpit. Kaniva News is happy to make this clarification.

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