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Lord Fakafanua claims Pātangata land is his, asks govt to reconsider land distribution

By
Kalino Latu
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PHOTO: Left – Lord Maʻafu Tonga’s Minister of Land and Survey, R – Lord Fakafanua Tonga’s Former Speaker of the House

Lord Fakafanua has written to Tonga’s Minister of Land and Survey, Lord Maʻafu, asking him to reconsider the government’s decision to distribute the land at the village of Pātanga to its settlers.

The land at Pātangata was redistributed earlier this year so electricity could be connected to the village.

According to a report in Tālanga newspaper this week,  Lord Fakafanua believes the estate is his.

However, Lord Maʻafu said the government stood by its decision and that Pātangata was a government estate.

Lord Fakafanua, the noble of Maʻofanga estate, said he believed Pātanga village was one of his estates because of the outcome of a series of Land Court cases brought  by his grandfather.

Tālanga has since denied stories in other Tongan news outlets that Lord Fakafanua had taken legal action against the government.

The newspaper said the noble only wrote to the Minister of Land and Survey, claiming the estate was his and asking the government to review its decision.

It has been claimed that Pātangata, which is also popularly known as Tukutonga, was joined to another block of land called Finepani.

The lands were claimed by Fakafanua Kisione Lēlea, Lord Fakafanua’s great grandfather but was rejected in a Land Court Case in 1924 according to Kakalu-‘O-Tonga newspaper.

Fakafanua Lēlea divided Finepani into two and gave the lands to two of his heralds, Sōsefo Kātoa and Kēlepi Veʻehala, Tālanga reported.

Kātoa and Veʻehala registered the lands with the Ministry of Land and Survey in December 1928 and January 1929.

Tukutonga was leased by Lord Fakafanua’s grandfather to an American citizen named Drucker with the approval of the cabinet – decision number 1041- on January 1, 1971.

However, in 1972 the cabinet changed its decision and declared that Tukutonga was part of the government’s estates.

Fakafanua took the government to court in 1975 and won his case before Chief Justice H.S.Roberts.

However, his victory in the Land Court Case – number 13 of 1975 – was appealed by the government which took it to the Privy Council.

Kakalu-‘O-Tonga quoted Lord Ma’afu as saying the government won in its appeal.

Fakafanua then began another legal action, but the case stalled and has not been pursued since then.

Lord Maʻafu reportedly said the government would stand by its decision on the distribution of Pātangata and Lord Fakafanua was free to take any legal action against government.

He said only a court decision could change the government’s decision.

The main points

  • Lord Fakafanua has written to Tonga’s Minister of Land and Survey, Lord Mā’afu, asking him to reconsider the government’s decision to distribute the land at the village of Patanga to its settlers.
  • The land at Patangata was redistributed earlier this year so electricity could be connected to the village.
  • According to a report in Talanga newspaper this week, Lord Fakafanua believes the estate is his.
  • However, Lord Ma’afu said the government stood by its decision and that Patangata was a government estate.

For more information

Tongan legal and court system (South Pacific Lawyers’ Association) 

Man charged after smashing his car into Royal Palace fence

By
Kaniva Pacific
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A driver accused of smashing his vehicle into the fence of the Royal Palace and fleeing the scene in Nuku’alofa has been charged with reckless driving

Police arrested 30-year-old Seleti Mafi of Sopu Monday 8 and is awaiting trial at the Magistrate Court.

According to Police Communication Officer Telesia Adams the accused after fleeing the scene arrived at the Central Police station and falsely filed a complaint claiming his van was stolen.

However a witness told Police he saw Mafi leaving the van after it crashed into the Palace’s fence. The witness’s report led to the victim’s arrest.

It was not clear whether the accused received further charges on his false report or not.

He was remanded on bail.

Government aims for healthy 2015-16 budget with cheaper food and new sports facilities

By
Kalino Latu
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PHOTO: Minister for Finance Dr ʻAisake Eke

The price of chicken, tinned fish and other imported food is down and the airport departure tax has gone up in Tonga’s new budget.

The government hopes the results will be longer lives for Tongans and new sports facilities for the South Pacific Games that will be used by the kingdom’s young sportsmen and women for years to come.

In announcing the budget, Finance Minister Dr Eke said the government had made the national diet a priority in an attempt to increase the kingdom’s life expectancy from an average 65 – 69 years to 70 – 75.

He said the government understood people were free to choose what food they ate, but it was the government’s responsibility to make sure people had access to healthier, cheaper, food.

Under the new budget the price of imported chicken would be reduced to only 17.5 percent increase and tinned fish would be 12.5 percent cheaper.

Dr Eke said an inquiry had found that the price of chicken had risen by 51 percent, while the retail price of tinned fish had increased by 33 percent.

He described the finding as “shocking.”

Price rises include an increase in the airport departure tax and foreign exchange charges, which will go towards the cost of preparing for the South Pacific Games in 2019.

Customs and Revenue Minister Tevita Lavemaau said Tonga had one of the lowest airport departure taxes in the South Pacific.

The government has increased the airport departure tax from TP$65 to TP$165. This is expected to bring in TP$5.5 million a year to help with new facilities and buildings to be constructed for the Games.

Hon. Lavemaau said the facilities funded by the increased airport tax would be used after the Games by Tonga’s young sportsmen and women.

New charges will be imposed on foreign exchange, from which the government expects to collect TP$2 million a year to help fund preparations for the Games

Tonga’s budget for the 2015-16 financial year will be almost TP$500 million.

The new budget has risen by TP$26.9 million from last year to TP$329,707,700.

The total amount in the budget will rise to TP$496,324,600 when an estimated TP$166,614, 900 of overseas donor funds is received.

The biggest beneficiaries in the budget are the government’s central agencies, which will receive more than TP$99 million and social services, which will receive just over TP$94 million.

The 2015-16 budget has been allocated into seven main sectors.

  1. Constitution which includes Palace Office, Parliament, Auditorʻs Office and Public Relation Commission has an allocation of TP$13,096,500.
  2. Foreign Affairs and His Majesty’s Armed Forces – TP$18,043,200.
  3. Central Agencies – TP$99,925,400.
  4. Law and Order – TP$25,092,800.
  5. Social services which includes Health, Education and Internal Affairs – TP$ 94,632,500.
  6. Trade, Tourism, Agriculture and Fisheries – TP$20,353,900.
  7. Infrastructure, Land and Survey, Environment and Energy – TP$58,565,100.

The main points

  • The price of chicken and tinned fish is down and the airport departure tax has gone up in Tonga’s new budget.
  • The government hopes the results will be longer lives for Tongans and new sports facilities for the South Pacific Games that will be used by the kingdom’s young sportsmen and women for years to come.
  • The budget for the next financial year will be almost TP$500 million when overseas donor money is included.
  • The biggest beneficiaries in the budget are the government’s central agencies, which will receive more than TP$99 million and social services, which will receive just over TP$94 million.

For more information

Tonga govt present bigger budget than last year (RNZI)

Vava’u man died of gunshot to head, confirmed a suicide

By
Kaniva Pacific
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A 32-year-old man from Vava’u has committed suicide after he shot himself on his head with a 38 revolver on Friday 5 Police has confirmed this to Kaniva News.

Tonolo Halahingano from Pangaimotu was working as security guard at the Treasure Island motel in the island of ‘Eueiki in Vavaʻu when the incident occurred, Vava’u Police Superintend Netane Falakiseni said.

The dead man was found by another security guard the next day and reported to Police.

An inquest chaired by Police Magistrate Paula Tatafu to determine the cause of  Halahingano’s death on Saturday 6 confirmed he died from a self-inflicted gunshot to his head, Falakiseni said.

The inquest ordered a burial service to be organised immediately for the victim on Saturday night after it found  he died more than 24 hours earlier.

Falakiseni said the victim exchanged text messages with his girlfriend whom they have one child before he was found dead .

His girlfriend was in Tongatapu while the deceased was in the island.

Falakiseni said text messages retrieved from both the victim’s mobile phone as well as his girlfriend led them to believe the deceased was disappointed before the incident happened.

“At one stage he told his girlfriend over the phone he was going to shoot himself with the gun,” Falakiseni said.

“The girlfriend heard the shooting over the phone and when he tried to call him back she received no answer”.

The motel is owned by a Mexican man and he was away overseas while the incident happened, Falakiseni said.

He said there was no further investigation into the death of Halahingano but an investigation was ongoing to find out how the 38 revolver was found with bullets near the dead man.

This type of firearm is prohibited by law to be imported to the country, Falakiseni said.

CEDAW not our concern says Wesleyan leader as church takes separate stance

By
Kalino Latu
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PHOTO: Dr Tēvita Havea 

Free Wesleyan Church leader Dr Tevita Havea says the church is not concerned whether the government ratify CEDAW.

The Wesleyan church, which is also known as the Siasi Uesiliana Tau’ataina ‘o Tonga and is the largest Christian denomination in Tonga, has not officially joined other churches which have protested against the government’s move to ratify the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

However, some individual Wesleyan church members and ministers joined the recent protest marches in Nuku’alofa.

Dr Havea, who is General Secretary of the Free Wesleyan Church, told Kaniva News in Tongan that the church supported its members’ freedom.

“CEDAW or no CEDAW, the Wesleyan Church’s doctrine supports the freedom of everyone, man or woman and they cannot be oppressed,” Dr Havea said.

Dr Havea was responding to questions from Kaniva News asking him to clarify the church’s stance on the convention and whether it supported protest marches staged in Tonga recently.

He said the Free Wesleyan Church’s doctrine was clear and it did not accept same sex marriage.

“The church does not believe in man marrying a man or woman and a woman. It is the same with sodomy. The church does not accept it,” Dr Havea said.

“CEDAW or no CEDAW that is the church’s stance,” he added.

He said the church’s Taulama (keep a look out) committee was “working on it,” but did not give further details about what the committee has been assigned to deal with.

Fear

Some other church leaders and Christian activists in Tonga have opposed the government’s move to ratify CEDAW because they fear it would push Parliament to set up laws to legalise same sex marriage and abortion.

There is no clause in the CEDAW agreement that says member countries must legalise same sex marriage and abortion.

The government has made it clear it has reservations about some of the articles in the convention and is concerned that nothing should conflict with Tongan laws regarding land rights, same sex marriage and abortion.

At the last meeting between church leaders and the government, the church leaders told the Prime Minister and the Attorney General they did not want the government to sign CEDAW, claiming it would be against God’s will.

Tonga’s Attorney General had made it clear Tonga’s constitution and law can only be altered by Tonga’s law makers and that the United Nations’ convention does not interfere with these powers.

The government said it believed CEDAW would benefit Tonga and that its move to ratify the convention stood, despite recent protests by some church groups in Nuku’alofa.

The government has put a hold on any further public discussion on CEDAW so it can concentrate on His Majesty’s coronation ceremonies, which will be held from June 27 to July7.

Debates

Supporters of CEDAW claim Tonga’s privilege of altering the constitution and laws was safe and Parliament could not be forced to pass bills legalising abortion and same sex marriage.

All new laws or alteration to the Tongan constitution must be approved by the king.

CEDAW supporters argued the issue was for Tongans not to elect people who would pass laws to legalise abortion and same sex marriage. They said this was possible even if Tonga did not sign CEDAW.

Supporters of the government believe the two protest marches in Nuku’alofa last month were staged by opponents of Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva.

They also claimed that some of the church leaders who led the marches misled their followers by telling them the convention would bring “evil” to the nation and that it would degrade the way Tongans respect women.

Tonga is one of the only seven countries – including the United States – not to have signed the convention.

More than 180 member countries of the United Nations have signed CEDAW. Samoa, one of Tonga’s closest neighbouring country in the Pacific, signed CEDAW 23 years ago, but has never legalised abortion and same sex marriage because of the country’s Christian beliefs.

Dedicated to Queen Mata‘aho

In December 2011 the then government decided to conduct a further series of public consultations on its move to ratify CEDAW.

After the last public consultation in February 2015, all the major stakeholders decided it was time to re-submit the ratification of CEDAW to Cabinet for consideration and approval.

The government’s decision to ratify CEDAW came on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action conference held in New York, which was marked on March 9-20.

The conference also marked the 59th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) which was called to review challenges to the implementation of gender equality and the empowerment of women that was laid out in the Beijing Declaration.

Tonga was represented at the conference by a delegation led by Her Majesty Queen Mataʻaho, The Queen Mother.

The government said its decision to ratify CEDAW on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration was made as “our humble gift to Her Majesty, The Queen Mother, Queen Halaevalu Mata’aho, in recognition of her unheralded leadership and tireless work in support of all the women and girls of Tonga.”

The main points

  • Free Wesleyan Church leader Dr Tevita Havea says the church is not concerned whether the government ratifies CEDAW.
  • The Wesleyan church has not joined other churches which have protested against the government’s move to ratify the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
  • Dr Havea told Kaniva News the Free Wesleyan Church’s doctrine was clear that it did not accept same sex marriage.
  • Supporters of CEDAW believe recent protest marches in Nuku’alofa last month were staged by opponents of Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva.

For more information

The Beijing Platform for Action: inspiration then and now (UN)

Government agrees to ratify CEDAW (Prime Minister’s Office)

Princess Angelika releases a baby sea turtle to the sea

By
Kaniva Pacific
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Princess Angelika Tukuʻaho has been applauded on social media after she released a baby sea turtle to the sea recently.

It was not immediately clear how did the king’s only daughter get the little turtle.

However, photos of the release appeared on Instagram and Facebook with captions that read:

“Tongan Princess Angelika Latufuipeka Tuku’aho returning a baby turtle to the sea. What a great example to the rest of our Kingdom. Can we please stop snapping baby turtles to sell you can not eat them at this size anyway!” wrote the Princess’ first cousin Ivana Vaea.

“Leading by example thank you Princess Angelika Lātūfuipeka Tuku’aho”, one commentator wrote.

“What a nice story, it’s about time someone stopped being cruel to fish”, another commentator wrote on Facebook.

The photos show the princess was escorted by a royal guard with other women at one of the coastal areas believed to be in Tongatapu, the mainland of Tonga.

The guard was shown to have handed the little turtle to the princess before she released it into the sea.

The turtle then was shown on another photo swimming and headed out into the vast blue ocean.

New Constructed Solar facility for Tongatapu

By
Alpha Latu
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A new one megawatt solar facility commissioned by His Majesty King Tupou VI this week was aimed at providing cheaper electricity in the main island of Tongatapu.

His Majesty King Tupou VI named the USD$15 million (TOP$26.9 million) project funded by the Government of Japan as Mata-‘O e-Laʻā or Face of the Sun.

Tonga Power Ltd  contributed $1 million paʻanga for the provision of land and project support.

“The project included the micro-grid control system at $9.3 million, photovoltaic panels at $10.24 million, $7.2 million for installation and $547, 000 was allocated for staff training. Overall, the solar facility was built at a cost of about $28 million pa’anga”, a statement from Tonga Power said.

“Carl Sanft, the Chairman of the Tonga Power Ltd Board, said that without renewable generation projects, the electricity tariff will be much higher. The solar facility could generate up to 1.3 GWH per annum of electricity reducing diesel usage by 327,000 litres annually, saving $563,000 pa’anga per year in fuel costs”.

After the unveiling of the plaque, HM King Tupou VI, HE. Yukio Numata, Hon. Poasi Tei, Carl Sanft.

Power Generation Manager of Tonga Power Ltd, Mr Michael Lani ‘Ahokava hosted the ceremony.
“This project started with a vision by the Governments committee, the Tonga Energy Road Map (TERM) almost three years ago to reduce Tonga’s vulnerability to oil price shocks. A vision that would open up doors for renewable developments in Tonga to drive down electricity prices through a reduced reliance on diesel”, stated the Minister for Public Enterprises.

Lavengatonga shooting accused to reappear in court tomorrow

By
Kaniva Pacific
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A 58-year-old man who has been charged after he was allegedly shot  his brother-in-law and a nephew will reappear in court tomorrow, Friday 5, police said.

The accused appeared at Mu’a Magistrate Court yesterday before the court ordered him to be remanded in Police custody, Police Superintendent Tevita Fifita told Kaniva News this morning.

The suspect accused his wife’s brother and his sister-in-law’s son in relation to mulberry trees believed to have been stolen from his plantation.

At one stage it was alleged the accused took the duo to his plantation and after questioning them regarding the loss of the paper mulberry plants he shot them with a 22 riffle he owned.

The duo were recovered from their injuries in the hospital, Police said.

Police arrested him last Friday night.

Police said the accused currently holds a license to own the firearm.

Fifita said it was still possible more charges would follow, as Police investigation was ongoing.

Vava'u boat ramp mishap van pulled from sea

By
Kaniva Pacific
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A van was pulled from sea in Vava’u after it went under water at a local boat ramp on Friday, May 30, Police told Kaniva News. 

A rescue operation was underway at the boat ramp near Puatalefusi Habour after the drama began, Police Superintend Netane Falakiseni said.

The van was at the wharf to tow a dinghy back out to land.

Two men who were in the vehicle were trying to attach a cable from the boat to the  tow-bar when the van which was on the slippery slope slid and plunged into the water.

No one was injured Falakiseni said.

Fu'amotu village has new water supply

By
Alpha Latu
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The Japanese new funded water supply system for the Fuaʻamotu community was launched on June 3.

The TP$206,958 new water system replaced the village’s old water supply which regularly failed to consistently provide water for the villagers.

Japanese Ambassador, HE Mr Yukio Numata said Japan understands the problem human faced with water supply and wanted to assist the village of Fu’amotu by restoring their water supply system.

Fu’amotu Town Officer Vili Lui acknowledged the Japanese Government, thanking them for funding the water system because without their help, it wouldn’t be possible.

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