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King’s second son’s rights to noble hereditary title Ata announced on Tonga gazette

By
Kalino Latu
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King Tupou VI’s second son is the lawful successor to the hereditary noble title and estate of Ata, it has been announced in the government of Tonga gazette.

It said Viliami ‘Unuaki-‘o-Tonga Mumui Lalaka-mo e-‘Eiki Tuku’aho was entitled to the hereditary estate belonging “to the title to which he has succeeded together with the rents and profits thereof and all other rights and privileges attached to the title as from 25 September 2006.”

The king’s order comes after he sent former Prime Minister Lord Tu’ivakanō and some royal guards to intervene in a baptism ceremony that would have made Prince Ata a Mormon three years ago.

The Prince drew back, but a year later he was baptised as a Mormon in Hawai‘i.

As Kaniva News reported at the time, an unconfirmed report said His Majesty later warned Prince Ata he could have some of his princely privileges revoked if he was baptised into the Mormon church.

It is believed he was the first Prince of Tonga to become a Mormon after his aunt late Princess ‘Elisiva Fusipala Vaha’i became the first member of the royal family to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1980s.

The Tongan constitution does not say that successors’ rights to the throne will be affected by their religious beliefs.

The royal family are members of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga.

It was unclear why the announcement was published on November 23, 2017 more than 11 years after the 29-year-old Prince was appointed in 2006.

Estates 

Prince Ata is fourth in line to the throne. The noble title was previously held by his father.

In 2006 the Palace office announced the late King George V had appointed him to the noble title Ata.

It said the appointment was to be effective from September 25, 2006.

Ata’s hereditary estates are Kolovai in Tongatapu and the island of ‘Atatā, 10 kilometres North-West of Nuku‘alofa.

As we reported last year, Prince Ata had joined Mormon church leaders who held the first Sunday prayer service for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the island of ‘Atatā.

The service marked a milestone in the history of the Mormon church on the island.

In the past they have had to make a 30 minute crossing to Tongatapu, the main island of Tonga, to attend Sunday services and church meetings there.

The Gazette

The announcement by His Majesty’s Lord Privy Seal Tēvita Malolo is published verbatim below.

“In Exercise of the powers conferred by Section 38 of the Land Act, His Majesty King Tupou VI hereby Orders to be published in the Gazette that:

Viliami ‘Unuaki-‘o-Tonga Mumui Lalaka-mo e-‘Eiki Tuku’aho is the lawful successor to the hereditary noble title and estate of: ATA and shall possess and enjoy the hereditary estate appurtenant to the title to which he has succeeded together with the rents and profits thereof and all other rights and privileges attached to the title as from 25 September 2006.”

The Land Act

The relevant provision of the Land Act says:

“King to publish name of lawful successor (1) Upon the death of a holder of an hereditary estate or upon being convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to imprisonment for more than two years or upon his being certified as insane or imbecile by a medical officer,

His Land Act CAP. 46.02 Section 39 to 2016 Revised Edition Page 25 Majesty shall cause the name of the lawful successor to the title of such holder to be published in the Gazette together with the date of his succession thereto which shall be the day following that on which the death of the holder took place or on which the holder was convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to imprisonment for more than two years or was certified by a medical officer as insane or imbecile.

25 (2) On a convenient day not more than 6 months after the date of such publication, or, where the lawful successor is on such date a minor, 6 months after the day he attains the age of 21 years, His Majesty shall summon the person so named to appear before him in the Privy Council and there to take the oath of allegiance set out in Schedule VII. (3) The clerk of the Privy Council shall keep a roll of all persons holding hereditary estates.”

The main points

  • King Tupou VI’s second son is the lawful successor to the hereditary noble title and estate of Ata, it has been announced in the government of Tonga gazette.
  • It said Viliami ‘Unuaki-‘o-Tonga Mumui Lalaka-mo e-‘Eiki Tuku’aho was entitled to the hereditary estate belonging “to the title to which he has succeeded together with the rents and profits thereof and all other rights and privileges attached to the title as from 25 September 2006.”
  • The king’s order comes after he sent former Prime Minister Lord Tu’ivakano and some royal guards to intervene in a baptism ceremony that would have made Prince Ata a Mormon three years ago.
  • The Prince drew back, but a year later he was baptised as a Mormon in Hawai‘i.

Serious crash in Hahake as 2017 road toll stands at six

By
Kalino Latu
-

A number of people had been reportedly hospitaliszd after a serious crash in Hahake on Saturday night.

Local reports said two vehicles collided in Hoi.

The details of the crash were still unclear.

Photos purported to show the incident seen by Kaniva News on social media showed men lying face upwards on the grass near the scene of the collision.

Some had been covered and laid on blankets while others were laid at the back of a Police pick up van.

Meanwhile, a 20-year-old Fua’amotu man died in hospital after a car crash in Tofoa on Wednesday morning.

On December 16 Kaniva News came across a car crash in Sia’atoutai.

In that crash a car collided with a van before it crashed into a fence.

Police reportedly said road toll for 2017 stood at 6 – down from 18 in 2016

Tonga one of first Pacific nations to greet New Year

By
Philip Cass
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Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and New Zealand will be the first Pacific nations to welcome the New Year.

However, the French territory of Tahiti, which is an hour ahead, will welcome in 2018 first.

Parts of French Polynesia are even further ahead.

Auckland in New Zealand will be the first major city to mark the New Year.

The fireworks display from the Sky Tower in Auckland will use half a tonne of fireworks this year, according to organisers.

The Sydney fireworks display from the Sydney Harbour Bridge is televised around the world.

It can be seen at 2am Tongan time.

Queensland is the only Australian east coast state not on daylight saving and will mark the new year at 3am Tongan time.

Major fireworks displays around the world usually include Dubai,  but this year it appears the focus will be on a laser and light show in the centre of the city.

London usually hosts a spectacular fireworks display, but revellers will face rain, wind and freezing temperatures outdoors.

By the time Londoners are welcoming in the New Year, it will be 1pm in Tonga.

The last territory  to greet the new year will be American Samoa.

The US territory is only 200km from Samoa, but is on the other side of the international dateline.

Some countries will celebrate New Year twice, once using the western calendar and another using the lunar (13 month) calendar.

The main points

  • Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and New Zealand will be the first Pacific nations to welcome the New Year.
  • Auckland in New Zealand will be the first major city to mark the New Year.
  • The last territory to greet the new year will be American Samoa, which is on the other side of international dateline from Samoa.

Government to build new Siamelie market after talk with landlord, says PM Pōhiva

By
Kalino Latu
-

The government will build new Siamelie market in Ma’ufanga after negotiations with land lord, Lord Fakafanua, said Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva.

Hon. Pōhiva said he talked to the noble, who is also the Speaker of Parliament, early this month about government leasing the land in which Lord Fakafanua agreed.

The Prime Minister said the new market was one of the much-needed projects the government has projected over the next four years.

He said there were too many sellers for Talamahu, Tong’s only national market.

Movements

As Kaniva News reported in 2015, the government moved vendors who used to sell their agricultural produce on footpaths in Maʻufanga to Siamelie open air market.

The market place was described by the government at the time as “temporal”.

Last week Kaniva News visited the Siamelie market and noticed there were no sellers there. The vendors had moved back to the roadsides.

The Prime Minister said works initiated at the time to build the market came to a hold because the government did not own the land.

As we reported at the time,  not all vendors immediately vacated the roadsides after government announced that it was a breach of law if people continued to put their stalls there.

Complaints

Some vendors complaint the roadsides were more convenient, easy for trading and it was free to use.

The government made the decision to shift vendors from the roadsides after it received information from the public citing lack of public toilets, sanitations and road congestion.

Hon. Pōhiva said the new market was planned to meet vendors’ needs.

Father and son killed within days of each other after Lapaha house fire

By
Kalino Latu
-

On Christmas eve a toddler was killed after a house fire in Lapaha.

His father was hospitalized after he was injured in the blaze.

Yesterday Friday 29 the father died in Vaiola hospital as a result of his injuries.

Kaniva News could not be able to confirm the details of the deceased and the incident.

Emergency Service authorities could not be reached for comment.

However, it is understood the father’s name was Siaosi Mo’unga.

A Facebook user who goes by the name Katalina Vahe uploaded photos to Facebook with a caption that read in Tongan:

“Ko ‘emau fakaha’ele ‘eni si’i Siaosi ki fale mate tali ai ki he ka fakaha’ele ke fakaha’ele ai ki Lapaha” (We are taking Siaosi’s body to the mortuary and waiting there for the hearse to take it to Lapaha).

The post was shared more than hundred times.

As Kaniva News reported earlier, a house in Holonga, a town near Lapaha, was gutted by fire just four days before Christmas, destroying everything a young family owned.

In that incident, firefighters were called to the home but they could not be able to save the property.

Confusion before passengers boarding Air NZ flight sparks brief chaos at Fua‘amotu airport

By
Kalino Latu
-

Confusion before passengers boarded Air New Zealand flight NZ 273 on Wednesday afternoon from Tonga to Auckland caused a brief disturbance and drew complaints from some passengers.

About 170 passengers, who had been walking about 100 metres from the airport terminal to the aircraft were unhappy about having to wait in the sun.

The passengers apparently had no idea why they were being put on hold.

Some passengers gave up and breached an order to wait at the foot of the stairway and walked up to the aircraft door.

They were spotted talking to the General Manager of the Airport Terminal Service (ATS), Mr
Paul Karalus.

Some passengers were overheard complaining that the staff at the terminal should have made sure there was no issue before releasing them to walk to the aircraft.

Sick passenger

However, Karalus said they realised they had an issue only after seating the first passengers who arrived at the aircraft.

“It was during the movement of guests in the general boarding by both the forward and rear stairways that we struck the problem of one invalid who could not walk.

“We use the aisle chair we use for such cases but she could not physically fit down the aisle,” Karalus told Kaniva News.

“We had to quickly reassign her seat to be in the front of the economy section and advise the gate to reassign both her seat and that of the guest originally given the seat while slowly easing her into the seat,” Karalus said.

Schedule

Karalus, a former government Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation said the incoming flight NZ270 on Wednesday from Auckland to Tonga arrived late.

“In such cases, we at ATS must endeavour to return the flight for an on-time arrival in Auckland and to the convenience of the passengers.

He said there were 263 passengers on the flight from Auckland and 172 on the return leg.
An unusually high number of passengers needed to use the ambulift to board, so two were
used.

Once the first ambulift was empty and the passengers were seated, a general boarding call was made.

Passengers put on hold

Karalus said it was during this manoeuvre that he asked passengers at the foot of the forward stairs to wait until they cleared the way by seating the invalid before the front stairs could be used.

Passengers were still able to use the rear stairs.

He said passengers were kept waiting for no more than three minutes.

The comfort of the elderly invalid outweighed the small inconvenience of the few guests who had had to wait for a little time before boarding, he said.

Teen who blinded a man with a brick he hurled during a drunken attack gets jail terms

By
Kalino Latu
-

The 18-year-old male teenager who hurled a brick in which struck a man in his right eye in Longoteme leaving him blind  has been sentenced to three and a half years imprisonment.

Mumuhu Pou’uhila was sentenced on December 14 after it was confirmed he did willfully and without legal justification cause grievous bodily harm to Nelesoni Tu’itavake when he threw a brick that hit his face causing the destruction of his eyeball.

He was convicted of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Court documents showed Tu’itavake was drinking with friends when it was noticed that his brother had disappeared.

He and friends located him with a number of young men and he appeared to skirmish with one of them.

Tu’itavake held back his brother and they left.

At one stage they heard a number of young men challenging them to a fight.  They were told no one is to back down.

Tu’itavake went to see what the commotion was about with his friends, and saw a number of young men running towards him.

The prisoner threw a brick at Tu’itavake’s face causing him to fall to the ground and black out momentarily.

The victim was further assaulted by others of the group. The accused played no further part in the fight other than throwing the brick.

Tu’itavake was taken to hospital. A preliminary medical report of the 19 April 2017 noted that he had multiple broken facial bones around the right orbit of his face.

On that basis, Judge Charles Cato imposed a starting point of five years’ imprisonment for Pou’uhila’s charge, but this was reduced to three and six months after Mr. Cato allowed a one year mitigation entitlement for his early guilty plea.

Mr. Cato also further mitigated  the starting point by an additional six months to reflect Pou’uhila’s age, and the fact he has no previous convictions. He has offered an apology and was remorseful.

Mr. Cato suspended the final 18 months of his sentence on the following conditions:

  • He is not to commit any offences punishable by imprisonment for the period of his suspension;
  • He is placed on probation for the term of his suspension to live where directed by his probation officer;
  • He is not to consume alcohol during the period of his suspension;
  • He is to attend a course on life skills and violence under the direction of his probation

“The sentence  I impose on him for grievous bodily harm is three and half years imprisonment backdated to the time he was remanded in custody for this offending,” Mr. Cato said.

Cabinet line-up to be announced after King appoints Prime Minister, says PM Pohiva

By
Kalino Latu
-

Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva will announce his cabinet line-up after His Majesty King Tupou VI appoints him early next month.

As Kaniva News reported earlier, the line-up was expected to be announced before Christmas, but after Hon. Pohiva was informed the king would probably appoint him for longer than expected, he cancelled the planned announcement.

He said the Palace office would probably process the appointment ceremony on January 2.

He said it was normal procedure that the announcement of the new cabinet could be made public after the Prime Minister was appointed by the king.

“It is better to leave it until His Majesty would formally appoint me,” he said.

He said he came to this conclusion after a discussion in cabinet to announce the line-up last week.

He said he knew the people were waiting for the line-up and some were expecting it before Christmas.

Nobility

Hon. Pohiva said there was advice from outside for him and his cabinet to work together with the nobility after the snap election.

He said that had proven very difficult in the past.

He said the German philosopher Karl Marx has referred to this situation as “class struggle.”

This meant the nobility would always fight to make sure they survived and got what they wanted for their own benefit. For them to survive they had to support only the laws and policies that would protect their interest and advantages, Hon. Pohiva said.

“I tell you it would be very difficult to work together with them because of that,” Hon. Pohiva said.

He said there were laws which gave nobility power over their own lands. People could live there and grow crops, but the owners were the nobles.

“If we changed those laws to allow the people to own those lands I can tell you the nobles would not like it,” Hon. Pohiva said.

For more information

‘Akilisi Pōhiva is Prime Minister of Tonga until 2021

Great grandchildren of 15 siblings meet to revive Tu’ivailala blood relationship

By
Kalino Latu
-

The grandchildren of the late Sione Lātū Tu’ivailala of Matamaka, Vava’u met in a joyous celebration in Houma, Tongatapu today to revive their blood relationship for the first time.

Most of them found this an opportunity to meet each other. After their parents married they moved to different places and the grandchildren were far away from each other.

One family member who worked as Senior Revenue Officer in the Tongan Custom Department sat in the kava circle this morning during the gathering and was surprised to meet some of his friends who worked in a broker’s service who they regularly met to process brokerage papers.

“I was surprised to become aware for the first time we are family,” Paulo Lātū said of these friends whose mother, Fane Tu’ivailala was a first cousin of his mother, late ‘Elisiva Tu’ivailala Lātū.

‘Elisiva’s father was the late Falekasa Tu’ivailala and Fane’s father was the late Kite Tu’ivailala. Kite and Falekasa were two of Sione’s 15 children.

Sione married the late Silipa Tu’ivailala.

All the siblings were survived by Kelepi Falekihefohe Tu’ivailala.

Kelepi, 87, who is also known as Visa, was honoured by the family today as chairman of the reunion.

Today’s family function, which was held at the Mailo Kava Club from 9am until about 4pm, was full of memory and jubilation.

Migration

Sione grew up in the island of Matamaka in Vava’u, but most of his children moved to mainland Tongatapu and settled in Houma, Malapo and Haveluloto.

It appeared his siblings kept in touch after they arrived in Tongatapu, but when they died there was lack of communication between his grandchildren and great grand children.

Most of the speakers today were thankful that the reunion had been initiated to bring together their children so they knew each other.

The family reunion’s president, Halatoa Tāufa, who is also a Police Inspector in Tonga described the history of the island of Matamaka.

“Anyone who grew up in Matamaka, some of the things they did was watching the rock,” he said.

(Mata is Tongan for watching and maka is Tongan for rocks)

Other Tu’ivailala reunions

Tu’ivailala clans in New Zealand have been holding family reunions since 2012. They began with a Facebook page entitled Makapuna ‘o Siosafate mo Sesilia Tu’ivailala ‘o Matamaka.

It was followed  by reunions for the Tu’ivailala families in Australia and the United States.

The New Zealand reunion passed a resolution during its 2017 Reunion in November for all members to travel to Matamaka in 2019.

Some family members have not been to the island since they were born.

Sione’s children

1 – ‘Akesa Vaipulu Tu’ivailala Liukeina

2 – Siaosi Fifita Tu’ivailala

3 – Halalele Tu’ivailala

4 – Kitekeiaho Tu’ivailala

5 – Lupe Heamapa Tu’ivailala

6 – Sione Havea Toa Tu’ivailala a.k.a Falekasa

7 – Seini Piula Tu’ivailala

8 – Paula Langi Tu’ivailala

9 – ‘Ana Lolohea Tu’ivailala Tupou

10 – Kelela Tu’ivailala

11 – Mele Mata Tu’ivailala Tupou

12 – Kelepi Fale-Ki he-Fohe  Tu’ivailala a.k.a Visa

13 – Letio-i-vaikeli Tu’ivailala Taufa

14 – Fokikovi-Ki-Fakanoaloto Tu’ivailala

15 – Taniela Kanakana-e-Langi Tu’ivailala a.k.a Kuma

Holonga family lose everything in fire days before Christmas

By
Kalino Latu
-

A fire gutted a Tongatapu home just four days before Christmas, destroying everything a young family owned.

Pitikeni and Tupou Fungavaka and their two young sons aged three and one lost all their belongings.

Pitikeni told Kaniva News he was thankful no one was killed in the fire.

The blaze erupted and destroyed the house on Wednesday at around 3.30pm, he said.

Fire fighters were at the scene.

Pitikeni said he was at work when he received  a text message saying his house was on fire.

He posted a message on Facebook with a screenshot of the text message.

“This is the message I will never ever forget,” he wrote in Tongan.

His community is working together to make sure the Fungavakas have a happy holiday. They dropped off blankets, food, cutlery, clothing and a tent to the family’s home to help make sure they were taken care of for Christmas.

Pitikeni said his parents and Red Cross were first to arrive in their property in Holonga with assistance.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

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