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PM’s Niuafo‘ou Meeting: wharf maintenance, roading, water, internet, ship and airline charges residents’ main concerns

By
Kalino Latu
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Kiliki ‘i he ‘ōtiō ‘i ‘olunga’ ke ke fanongo ki he fakataha ‘a e ‘Eiki Palēmia’ mo e kāinga Niuafo’ou

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Audio of the Prime Minister’s meeting in Niuafo’ou was provided by the Prime Minister’s office and transcribed and translated into English by Kaniva News. This English version of the audio had been abridged.

The Prime Minister met with Niuafo’ou residents as part of his visit around the whole of Tonga to have a ground level view of the damage caused by Tropical Cyclone Tino which struck the kingdom last month.

Prime Minister Hon Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa said the population was small and their concerns should be easily addressed and provided for.

In a speech during the meeting, Hon Tu’i’onetoa said that among other matters, the residents’ urgent needs were to fix their roads, repair and upgrade their wharf, build house weaving buildings,  and provide internet connectivity to all remote rural areas.

The residents were also concerned at the flat charge by the only government’s sponsored vessel to the island levied when it shipped water and goods to Niuafo’ou.

The cost for the 10,000 litre tank of water was TOP$3600 and the ship company charged $1500 on top of that.

The Prime Minister said he has noted their concern.

Minister of Finance Tēvita Lavemaau said the government paid its shipping company a subsidy of TOP$45,000 so the vessel could travel to Niuafo’ou.

Hon. Lavemaau said the Cabinet had assigned a committee to work on issues of shipping and airline needs for the Niuas.

The Minister was responding after the Niuafo’ouans described the ships and airline traveling and flight charges as beyond their financial capabilities and asked the Prime Minister to help.

The residents also told the Prime Minister they needed tree-cutting chainsaws, a vehicle for the Si’i Kae ‘Amo Association – an association created to facilitate the community’s needs –  and other equipment for road maintenance.

The secretary of the Si’i Kae ‘Amo told the Prime Minister works to process mat weaving plants known as fanakio were very difficult.

He said men had to cut the fanakio from the cliff’s sides and take them a long distance before they reached the sea for bleaching of the plants. He said the roads were rough and it took two to three weeks for the bleaching process to be completed before they brought them back home for weaving.

A woman told the meeting their road up to the mountain was blocked by trees and she was concerned that if any tsunami or volcanic eruption occurred they could not evacuate.

The residents also said they needed internet connectivity so they could contact their families outside Niuafo’ou, especially when they were living overseas.  

They said only three villages were connected to the internet.

Another woman asked the Prime Minister to consider sending the government officials to hold meetings with the town officers in Niuafo’ou. She said they only have a few men on the island to rely on and when they left for meetings they had no one to depend on, especially if  natural disasters hit the island.

The Niuafo’ouans also wanted to construct a runway for the aircraft. At present, the aircraft has to land on a grass runway. When it was raining it could not be able to land.

Internal Affairs CEO says claims about Tasmanian worker exploitation not true, but says he will talk to employer in Brisbane

By
Kalino Latu and Philip Cass
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The CEO of Tonga’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, Dr Fotu Fisi’iahi, has denied widespread reports about Tongan workers living in slum conditions in Tasmania.

According to the reports, which were carried by Kaniva news,  about 77 Tongan seasonal workers were evacuated from a five bedroom house in Shearwater due to overcrowding and inadequate conditions.

Australian unions said the workers’ employer, Costa, had committed what amounted to human rights abuse.

Tongan workers in Tasmania told the ABC they wanted to warn people in the kingdom what they were getting themselves into by joining the Seasonal Workers’ Programme in Australia.

“We want them to know the truth. People just pay for the airfares and come over here because they don’t have the information they need,” the workers told the Australian national broadcaster.

Dr Fisi’iahi said if there had been any problems the Tongan workers would have reported them to Tonga’s representative in Tasmania.

“If the investigation you are talking about was true, the seasonal workers would have long complained about it,” Dr Fisi’iahi said in Tongan.

“The Tongan seasonal workers knew what was good and what was bad.

“We all know the journalists they can twist everything to make their news popular before correcting it.”

You can read the ABC news here and more:

However, he said he would raise the issue with the worker’s employer— at a meeting in Brisbane next month.

He claimed a Tongan representative, Sione Vaka, had investigated the situation and said the claims were not true. He described Vaka as reliable and said he was paid  by the Tongan government.

He said Tonga was the only country that had a liaison officer in Tasmania.

Dr Fisi’iahi said Vaka denied all the workers involved were Tongans.

He did not respond when he was asked how many Tongan Seasonal Workers at Shearwater.

“Vaka reported there were three buildings in which the employees stayed. There was a five storey building in which females workers stayed and two other buildings for the male workers,” Dr Fisi’iahi said.

“There were bunk beds in the rooms which were divided into five.

“There was a problem between the council and the landlord over renovation to the buildings the landlord had not done.”

Dr Fisi’iahi said Vaka always visited and checked the accommodation of the Tongan seasonal workers in Tasmania.

Supreme Court dismisses 12 year old case, says charges ‘misconceived’ and no case to answer

By
Philip Cass
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The Supreme Court has dismissed a 12 years-old accusation of theft.

In 2008 Heleni Ruby Ma’afu, an employee of Pacific Travel Marketing Ltd, took TP$36,046 from bank cards of customers of Pacific Travel Marketing Ltd.

The case was not received by the attorney general for prosecution until 2018, which the judge described as “inordinate delay.”

There was no dispute that she had wrongly used customer’s credit card details to pay for travel on occasions when no travel debts were outstanding with the company. As a result, various sums were provided to the company as credit.

When she was caught she was fired and any financial losses had to be made good. A complaint was made to the police.

“There is no  complaint that the accused used any money for her own purposes but it is alleged she used the money to enhance the company’s position and reduce its overdraft, although it is apparent why she was motivated to do this,” the judge said.

The defence argued that Ma’afu had not done anything which involved taking property under section 143 of the Criminal Offences act.

The judge said the wording of the charge against her was misconceived and suggested she too he money from bank cards of customers.

“She did not take any money,” the judge said.

“All she did by her deception was to influence the advancing of credits to the bank for the fictitious debts if its customers.

“For these reasons I rule that the case cannot amount to a dishonest “taking” as section 143 require.

“The Crown cannot establish a prima facie case, so I rule the accused has no case to answer and the case is dismissed.”

WHO says virus threat remains high while Tonga continues to work on quarantine space

By
Kaniva Staff
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The Tongan government is still working on preparing a quarantine space for people affected  by the corona virus.

No cases have been reported in the kingdom so far.

The Ministry of Health said it was working with the World Health Organisation on making sure the best preventative measures were in place while preparing for the worst case.

WHO is providing protective equipment including masks, gowns, gloves, hand washing aids, to protect both health workers and the population from the possible spread of the virus.

The WHO continued to describe the regional and global threat level as high.

Last week the Tongan government turned away three cruise ships and a German super yacht.

Meanwhile, officials from the Ministry of Internal affairs met with the parents of athletes being evacuated from Tonga.

About 50 students and officials have been flown to London and are reported to be in good health. 

Four Tongan are quarantined in New Zealand.

When the virus broke out in Wuhan, more than 100 Tongans were  in  China.  This    included  Tongan students, the Tonga Ambassador’s office, Tongan athletes and Tongan visitors.

The main points

  • The Tongan government is still working on preparing a quarantine space for people affected  by the corona virus.
  • No cases have been reported in the kingdom so far.

Incorrect report of death: Apology to Rev Tēvita Latailakepa’s family

By
Kalino Latu
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From the Editor:

Kaniva Tonga news apologises unreservedly to former ‘Ikale Tahi player and Free Wesleyan Church minister Rev. Tevita Latailakepa, his family, kāinga and friends following the incorrect report this morning on our news website that he had died.

As Editor I take responsibility for the mistake, which should never have occurred.

I have tried  personally to speak to Sela Latailakepa, the wife of Tevita but have not been able to reach her.  

I understand the family are by Rev. Latailakepa’s bedside and I have apologised for adding to their grief.

Early this morning we noticed reports by some ex-high school  classmates of Tevita at Tupou College and Free Wesleyan Church ministers that Tevita has died.

Our normal procedure in such circumstances is to seek confirmation from the immediate family or those who are very closed with the person in question.

Unfortunately, our sources got it wrong too.

We are currently looking into what checks were made regarding the sources we based our story on, with a view to ensuring procedures are reviewed to ensure that there is no repeat of this type of error in the future.

Former ‘Īkale Tahi player and chair of Rugby Union Board dies

By
Kalino Latu
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Former ‘Ikale Tahi number eight Tēvita Latailakepa has died.

His cause of death is yet to be officially released.

He was a minister of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga and a former tutor at Tupou College.

He was a respected coach locally since his tenure as Tupou College 1st XV Rugby team coach saw the school regularly winning the Inter-College Rugby Tournament Cup.

Rev Latailakepa was elected chairman of the Tonga Rugby Union Board in 2011 to replace Bob Tuckey who resigned over his differences with the team’s coach.

Blind woman disappointed after sexual harassment complaints dropped; Police Minister “promises” and asks to relodge her complaints

By
Kalino Latu
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A woman who said she was blind told a government and constituency meeting this week she was concerned at how police treated complaints by people with disabilities.

She described the way how police dealt with their complaints as very poor (“mā’olalo ‘aupito.”)

The woman claimed she was sexually harassed twice since she went blind in 2002.

She said she lodged a complaint with police but it was dropped outright because, according to her, police said no one could witness the harassment took place.

She was allegedly sexually harassed for a second time and she again filed a complaint but police gave her the same response.

The woman told the meeting she was distressed by the way how police treated her complaints.

She asked the government to do something to make sure their complaints and concerns were treated fairly.

The Minister of Police, who was at the meeting, said in Tongan “Kou palōmesi” ( I promise) and invited the woman to relodge her complaints.

The meeting was part of a public fono organised by the Prime Minister’s Office to meet with people of all constituencies in Tonga.

Those who attended the meeting at Tongatapu 1 were concerned at liquor use and loud music coming from moving vehicles at their Sopu popular coastal end spot.

The Minister of Police Lord Nuku told the constituents there was no budget for police to adequately patrolled the streets, however he said his Ministry will look at reviewing its policy.   

The meeting was attended by the Prime Minister and some of his cabinet ministers.

Tonga’s dialysis services set to temporarily open at Vaiola hospital

By
Kalino Latu
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Tonga’s new dialysis facility is set to temporarily open at Vaiola hospital, according to sources who are involved with the project.

They said if things go according to plan the services are expected to open to the public in April.

The new dialysis centre was planned to be built at His Majesty’s Tufumāhina estate.

It is understood works to register the land were still in process.

Prime Minister Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa has announced the dialysis facility was one of his government’s priorities.

As Kaniva previously reported in May last year, a private company in Salt Lake City was partnering with Tonga’s Ministry Of Health for the project.

The facility would be established “at no cost to the government.”

There is no dialysis available in Tonga which means those with end stage kidney disease have to travel overseas for costly dialysis or a kidney transplant.

Vava‘u authorities destroy boxes of rotting chicken

By
Kaniva Staff
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Around 400 boxes of rotting chicken have been destroyed in Vava’u after authorities inspected a refrigerated container at a Chinese shop in Neiafu today.

Neiafu Town Officer, Vāvā Lapota, said inspectors from MAFF have found the chicken to be unfit for consumption and were destroyed.

Lapota said the inspection came after complaints from customers.

He said they believed the owner of the container intermittently turned off the electricity in an attempt to save power but since the container was 40 ft long  this could not help kept the meat frozen from time to time.

Bags of expired flours and rotting salted beefs were previously found at the store, Lapota told Kaniva News.

Tongan evacuees released from NZ quarantine as kingdom’s final sports group arrive in London

By
Kalino Latu
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Four Tongans who have been quarantined at an Auckland navy base for two weeks were part of more than hundred evacuees who have started to be released after passing health checks this morning.

All have been cleared for release today, and New Zealand remains free from any confirmed cases of coronavirus, NZ Herald reported.

It said the first shuttles have left the military facility bound for Auckland Airport with Pacific Island nationals who will be returning home.

The New Zealanders will be released to return home after medical checks are complete around 1.30pm.

Meanwhile, a group of 25 Tongan athletes were welcomed in London by Tonga’s High Commissioner Hon Fanetupouvava’u Tu’ivakano.

It was the final Tongan group to be evacuated from China amid coronavirus outbreak.

They were expected to return to Tonga via Dubai and Auckland on March 5 and 7.

While in UK the 51 athletes are supervised under the medical supervision of British health professionals.  

CNN report said, all but five deaths from the virus have occurred inside mainland China, where an additional 98 fatal cases of Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, were reported Tuesday morning. The number of confirmed cases in China increased by 1,886, bringing the global total to over 73,325.

The vast majority of those cases have been in China, but concern has been growing in the past week over much smaller but growing outbreaks in Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong.

According to China’s National Health Commission, since the outbreak began in December, more than 12,500 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospital.

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