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Uaine Fa wins for the third time at royal rampage competition

By
Kalino Latu
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The Kiwi born Tongan boxer Uaine Fa Junior who represented Tonga in the 2010 Commonwealth Games beat Jayson Aloese last Saturday April 16 at the Central Park Drive, Henderson, New Zealand.

The 26-year-old made his first professional debut in February in which he defeated Richard Tutaki by knock out and later on was Clint Foai  by another knock out on April 13.

Fa’s third winning over the weekened was made while he was participating in the Royal Rampage which is New Zealand’s First WBC World Title Championship to be held in the country.

After the fight Fa took to Facebook to thank all his “family, friends and supporters”.

“Thanks to the best corner team that we have. You guys are awesome!! Thank you to my wife and kids for constant love and support. Loved every minute in the ring tonight”, he said.

Fa claimed a bronze medal for Tonga at the Delhi XIX Commonwealth Games in 2010.

In 2012 Boxing New Zealand’s hopes of sending Joseph Parker to the Olympics was on the ropes when he was beaten by Fa in the opening session of the Oceania qualifying tournament in Canberra.

Fa also won two previous bouts against Parker before the Canberra qualifying tournament.

Parker now holds the titles of the WBO Oriental, OPBF and WBC Eurasia Pacific Boxing Council regional heavyweight titles.

Andrew Johns helps Tongan national team

By
Kaniva Staff
-

EIGHTH Immortal Andrew Johns has offered his services to Tonga for free in a bid to help the emerging nation attract and develop talent.

Johns will take on a mentoring role with the Tongan side after reaching out to assistant coach David Tangata-Toa.

The legendary halfback played with David’s brother Andrew at the Knights in the mid-90s and through the friendship made enquires to assist Tonga in the lead-up to the Polynesian Cup against Samoa at Pirtek Stadium on May 7.

Johns said his motivation to link with Tonga was purely to make a difference on the international stage.

“I just like to help out the Pacific island nations,” Johns said.

“They provide so many players in the NRL and also in the Under 20s.

“Andrew (Tangata-Toa) is a good friend of mine and his brother David is on the coaching staff, so it was a general chat with Andrew and I and it just sort of went from there.

“I’ll pop into training a couple of times and give them a hand I’m really looking forward to it.”

Johns has always been passionate about seeing the international game grow, evidence through his trips to Fiji to uncover talent alongside former NSW and Australian teammate Brad Fittler.

He recently expressed his strong opinion on the plight of the Pacific Nations on The Sunday Footy Show by saying: “If we gave them more incentive to play for their countries, they’d be almost unbeatable.”

Tonga coach Kristian Woolf couldn’t be happier to have Johns on board to primarily work with the team’s halves.

“It’s a great thing for Tonga to have Joey involved,” Woolf said.

“It’s a real positive story and a positive sign of Joey as a bloke that he is willing to do that.

“He is not Tongan heritage, so he hasn’t got any invested interest in that way.

“Joey just expressed a desire to help out and between him and Dave (Tangata-Toa) they’ve come up with a bit of a verbal agreement.

“We just need to sit down to work out the logistics of what he can and can’t do with his other roles on Television and at the Roosters as a halves coach.

“But it’s completely Joey’s doing and he offered his services, so we will make it happen.”

Woolf hopes the presence of Johns will also help convince emerging Tongan players to represent their country instead of taking the big money on offer from New Zealand.

“Hopefully it will encourage guys to play for Tonga, which is a great thing,” he said.

“We are going to be young in the halves no matter what, so our intentions with it are to help those guys develop.

“Joey can certainly do that, plus any promotion that we can get for how we are trying to improve Tongan rugby league would be massive.”

– Daily Telegraph

‘Aminiasi Kefu remains as Tonga’s acting attorney general, king says

By
Kalino Latu
-

The king through his Privy Council said ‘Aminiasi Kefu will continue to hold the post of acting Attorney General while a panel is being selected according to the constitution to choose someone for the post.

The royal command comes after the Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva submitted a proposal last year asking the king  to remove Kefu from the post.

The Prime Minister claimed Kefu has many obligations for the government including being the Director of Prosecution and that was too much for him.

Kefu declined to comment saying the king has made his decision.

The Prime Minister’s Office said the government was awaiting the panel and when it is going to nominate someone to become the kingdom’s next attorney general.

The king has the power to appoint and dismiss Tonga’s attorney general according to the constitution.

The Prime Minister attacked Kefu in February saying he was interfering in Lord Tuʻilakepa’s fire arms case.

Lord Tu’ilakepa was sentenced in January and ordered to pay fine of TP$10,000 within 14 days after pleading guilty to firearms and ammunition charges.

The offence carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment and if Lord Tu’ilapeka had been  jailed for two or more years he would have lost all his noble privileges and title.

He escaped the jail terms and still holds his title.

In a letter released to the media, the Prime Minister said Kefu appeared to have interfered “with the independence and impartiality of a pending decision by a Supreme Judge of His Majesty’s Judiciary.”

Kefu initially told Kaniva News, Pōhiva’s statement was “based on a total misunderstanding of judicial proceedings, and the role of the AG”.

Senior journalist remains silent on PM’s charge she wrote e-mail attributed to Media Council

By
Kalino Latu and Philip Cass
-

Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva’s office says he suspects Radio Television Tonga’s manager for news programmes, Viola Ulakai, of acting as a mouthpiece for his political opponents.

The Prime Minister’s comments came in a statement from his office in which he said the request for a press conference made by Mrs Ulakai on March 2 was not endorsed by the Tonga Media Council (TMC), but was made at her own request.

He said she was later asked to remove the name of the Council and be responsible for her own actions.

Mrs Ulakai has not denied the Prime Minister’s statement.

When asked by Kaniva News about the issue she did not answer the question, but asked us to talk to other journalists at TMC. Kaniva News has not done this because our question was made to her.

Mrs Ulakai said the Tonga Media Council would release a press release in response to the Prime Minister’s statement, but nothing had been received as this story was being written.

The e-mail sent on March 2 was addressed to Mr Claude Tupou, the then Acting Chief Executive Office for Education and Training, and was copied to many addresses including officials at the Office of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, requesting for a press conference regarding issues related to the Ministry of Education and Training.

“I am greatly concerned with actions of individual journalists that tend to create unnecessary tensions between the media industry and the Government,” the Prime Minister said.

He said the Government was committed to a more accountable and transparent form of administration and would continue to discuss issues with the media.

The Government was talking to the Tonga Media Council to establish clear lines of communication for all future request of this nature. This would ensure that Government, stakeholders and the public are not misled by the actions of anyone person.

Last year the Prime Minister held three separate conferences with the media to elucidate on several national issues and to respond to questions raised by the media.

“It is apparent that the media had misused these opportunities by tossing in unnecessary, personal and trifling questions,” Hon. Pohiva said.

In a statement the Prime Minister’s Office said the Hon Prime Minister was not accountable to Mrs Viola Ulakai, as a person.

“He suspects that the issues and questions raised by her are not of her making, but rather are those concocted and tailored by Government opponents who have recently retired from the Ministry; all for the purpose of discrediting and running down this Government,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.

Who wrote the other Media Council letter?

Last month Kaniva News reported that a letter was circulating on social media asking whether it was true that Pohiva’s  son-in-law’s construction company in Hawai’i had been awarded the contract for building the Teufaiva Stadium for the South Pacific Games in 2019.

The letter was claimed to be from Tonga’s Media Council, but the name of the letter’s writer was not shown on the part of the document uploaded to Facebook.

The letter was addressed to the Acting CEO of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Pesalili Tuiano, asking him to hold a press conference with the Tongan media.

Hon. Pohiva denied the report, as did his daughter, who said her husband did not own a construction company in Hawaiʻi.

Pohiva and Tonga’s state media

Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva’s relationship with Tonga’s state radio and television service has been a rocky one.

He was famously thrown off the government radio station in his early days for broadcasting about democracy and has now accused senior station personnel of holding a grudge against him.

When Pohiva became Tongaʻs Prime Minister most of his interviews and statements to the nation were made public through a privatetly-owned local radio station FM 87.5.

This was followed by a piece in Pohiva’s Keleʻa newspaper explaining why Pohiva used the private radio instead of the state-sponsored Radio and Television Tonga. The article said it was because Pohiva knew the leaders of the Radio and Television Tonga still bore malice against him.

Recently Radio and Television Tonga revealed that it had run into debt because it relied on a set number of sponsors. There have been suggestions that some of its television programmes could become pay-per-view to help them fund the network.

During an interview with the Minister of Public Enterprise, Hon. Poasi Tei, the Minister told the interviewer that the Radio and Television Tonga should consider improving and creating news stories that were attractive to listeners. The minister said the state broadcasting commission could get more sponsors in that way.

Critics of the official broadcaster have also claimed that FM 87.5 has become more popular than the national radio service and that large numbers of listeners and sponsors had moved away from Radio and Television Tonga because of its coverage of the democrats.

One story that has circulated claims that during one general election, a democratic supporter from Hahake smashed his television set because he thought a Television Tonga programme was trying to discredit Pohiva and the democrats.

However, not all of Radio and Television Tonga’s senior staff have remained hostile. Former manager of the Radio and Television Tonga, the Late Tavake Fusimalohi, was often accused by critics of being responsible for programmes that were  biased against Pohiva and the democrats.

However, when Fusimalohi was pensioned off he became editor of Keleʻa. When critics asked why he shifted his political stance and supported Pohiva he said what he did was designed to please the leaders of the government and to keep his post with the radio and television. He said when he left the national organisation he was free to follow his own real political agenda.

Kaniva News comment

Radio and Television Tonga, which is sponsored by the Tongan government, has been accused by many members of the public of being biased in its news and stories against ‘Akilisi Pohiva and the Democrats.

Some people have claimed that many of its news stories and interviews have been aimed at attacking Hon. Pohiva and his followers.

They claim the government has not done enough to remove journalists who cannot report in a balanced way from the national media.

The main points

  • Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva’s office says he suspects Radio Television Tonga’s manager for news programmes, Viola Ulakai of acting as a mouthpiece for his political opponents.
  • The Prime Minister’s comments came in a statement from his office in which he said he was disappointed to learn that the request for a press conference made by Mrs Ulakai on March 2 was not endorsed by the Council, but was made at her own request.
  • He said she was later asked to remove the name of the Council and be responsible for her own actions.
  • Mrs Ulakai has not denied the Prime Minister’s statement.

Powerful earthquake strikes Tonga

By
Kalino Latu
-

A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck Tonga this Sunday evening at 19.31 New Zealand time.

The quake was 66km in depth and struck 287km from the capital Nuku’alofa, US Geological Survey earthquake alerts said.

Earlier it tweeted the preliminary reading of the quake to be 5.8.

No injuries or damages reported and there was no official tsunami threat warning issued.

The New Zealand MP Jenny Salesa who is currently in Tonga said on Facebook she was contacted after the earthquake.

“Malo e lelei, just letting you all know as I’ve had a number of people reaching out asking if we’re OK after the earthquake that we are indeed alright here in Tonga. One of the biggest risks here is not just from earthquakes but in addition a possible tsunami occurring afterwards because the main island where most people live, Tongatapu is really flat,” Salesa said.

Death of leading business man rocks Pacific community

By
Kaniva Staff
-

The Board of the Pacific Business Trust is deeply saddened by the passing of its Chief Executive Rob Neru on Friday.

Trust Chairman Fa’amatuainu Tino Pereira said the economic development and social enterprise organisation is still in shock over the untimely death of Rob Neru (46), a man who had a “tenacious passion for unlocking the potential of Pacific business people”.

“Rob brought to the trust 25 years of significant business and entrepreneurial experience, across multiple neru_480x270industries,” said Fa’amatuainu.

“He was renowned throughout Pacific communities in New Zealand for his deep personal commitment and first-hand insights into the opportunities that business and entrepreneurship can create for the betterment of our people,” he said.

“The Board and staff of the Trust are immensely saddened by his passing and we offer his wife Marianne, children Zoe, Michael, Jessica, Kimberley and Andrew, his extended family and friends, our deepest condolences.

“Rob has been pivotal to the recent accomplishments of the Trust and was a driving force behind our future vision.  His astute stewardship of the organisation, collegial management of the team and wise counsel to the Board will be greatly missed,” said Fa’amatuainu.

Ban by Tonga of a Canadian food product, is it justified?

By
Kaniva Staff
-
Editor,
Media reports this week condemn a Canadian food product. The chair of the Tonga National Food Council was reported as warning all consumers not to eat the hotdog brand shown as Golden Maple. Tonga National Food Authority is reported as suspending the operation of the local company distributing that brand.
As consumers we appreciate the efforts of the Food Council to ensure the safety of our food, however there has not yet been any proof of food contamination provided to the public that would, or could, justify the blanket ban of a well known international brand. Golden Maple brand is a product sold worldwide by Eire Meats, a Canadian company.
There are a number of questions that arise from this issue,and the answers need to be made as public as the product condemnation has been.
Is it true that the contamination report and resultant activity is based on the claims of one person in a facebook post? Has the health department reported any illness directly caused by this product? What testing results by a recognised food test laboratory has been supplied to authorities that justifies them banning a product and suspending the operations of a local business?
Of great interest, what has the Canadian government had to say about the banning of one of it’s export products by Tonga?
It is essential to consider the situation of the local importer; having their product banned and their operation suspended is a devastating blow. If it is proven the product is indeed contaminated then yes, proceed with product ban and business suspension based on verified fact, distressing for any business but necessary to protect the public.
But what if the product is not contaminated, what if the claims are untrue, what if it is found that the claim arose from the actions of an unscrupulous competitor? Who will compensate the local business for their financial loss, who will restore the brand reputation for the manufacturer? Let’s not forget that this product ban has been circulated worldwide by media.
Henry Garrahy

Dawn service at Pangai will mark ANZAC Day in Tonga 100 years after Battle of the Somme

By
Philip Cass
-

This year ANZAC Day commemorates the centenary of two important events during the First World War – the Battle of the Somme and the arrival of a New Zealand army recruiting team in Tonga.

The Tongans were among many Pacific islanders who served in the New Zealand, Australian, or French armed forces during the First World War.

Most of the initial volunteers from Tonga were Europeans or part-Europeans who joined the British, New Zealand or Australian armies.

In 1916, a recruiting team visited Tonga and persuaded a number of men to sign up.

Many volunteers from Tonga served with Maori or Cook Islands units.

While the disastrous Gallipoli campaign is traditionally the focus of ANZAC Day, the western front in France and Belgium was where most Australian and New Zealand units served as part of the British army.

On July 1, 1916, the Allies launched a massive attack on the German lines in the Somme River area of France. The attack was a disaster, which left 60,000 British troops dead or wounded on the first day.

The New Zealand Division was committed to the battle in September. Of the 15,000 men who went into action 6000 were wounded and 2000 killed. More than half of them have no known grave.

The Battle of the Somme dragged on for four months before the winter rains turned the ground into such a quagmire that movement was impossible.

By the time the attack was called off, more than 600,000 British and French soldiers were killed, wounded or missing in action. The Germans lost more than 650,000 soldiers. After more than one million soldiers on both sides had been killed or wounded, the allies had advanced just eight kilometres

A statement from the New Zealand High Commission in Tonga said April 25 had become a day of national reflection.

“Tongans, New Zealanders and Australians pause to remember and honour men and women who have served and sacrificed in war, conflicts and peace operations.

“It is a time to remember those who returned and those who did not and also reflect on the impact their service had on those who remained at home.”

To commemorate ANZAC day in Tonga, a dawn service will be held at 6am on Monday 25 April at the cenotaph at Pangai.

Captain Sila Siufanga, Regional Commander of the Salvation Army, will be the Officiating Minister.

Those attending are asked to be seated by 5.45am. Medals may be worn.

The main points

  • This year ANZAC Day marks the centenary of two important events during the First World War – the Battle of the Somme and the arrival of a New Zealand army recruiting team in Tonga.
  • The Tongans were among many Pacific islanders who served in the New Zealand, Australian, or French armed forces during the First World War.
  • In 1916, a recruiting team visited Tonga and persuaded a number of men to sign up.
  • Many volunteers from Tonga served with Maori or Cook Islands units.

Read more

https://kanivatonga.co.nz/2015/04/tongans-remember-volunteers-from-the-islands-who-served-in-first-world-war/

Christine Liava’a Koe Kau To’a Na’anau Poletau. Valiant Volunteers: Soldiers from Tonga in the Great War. You can contact the author at cliavaa@gmail.com if you would like to buy her book.

Tonga in World War One

Passion for History (Fiji Times interview with Christine Liava’a)

WWI: Tongan soldiers struggled in a strange land (New Zealand Herald)

Anzac Day in the Pacific

Moimoi’s brush with death

By
Kalino Latu
-

“IF you weren’t a fit footballer, you’d probably be dead.”

These were the chilling words former Parramatta cult hero Fuifui Moimoi was faced with after a bout of the flu turned into two weeks in intensive care with a serious infection.

Speaking to The Saturday Telegraph from his hospital bed in the north of England, Moimoi admitted he feared for his life when the infection started invading his body in the space of days.

“I was ready to go to training, but my body was weak,” recalled Moimoi, who is now playing for the Leigh Centurions in the English Championship.

“I decided to stay home and sleep and when I woke up the next day my temperature and heart rate was really high and I couldn’t stand up.

“I also couldn’t lift my arm because it started puffing up and I was in a lot of pain.

“Luckily one of my Tongan mates was staying with me for a couple of days and he rushed me straight to see the club doctor.”

Moimoi was now in a bad way.

His body was losing strength by the minute, while one arm and hand had blown up to resemble a human marshmallow man.

Moimoi
Moimoi spent two weeks in hospital. Photo/Daily Telegraph

Leigh owner Derek Beaumont saw Moimoi turn up to the club in a weak and lethargic state.

“The team doctor saw Fui and he knew something wasn’t right and sent him straight to the hospital,” Beaumont said.

“He had drips on him all over the place because the infection was shutting his body down.

“When he went into hospital his temperature was 41.7 and his heart rate was 130 while he was laid down relaxed.

“He had some kind of infection in his arm, which was spreading throughout his body and causing a lot of pain, but thankfully we stopped all of that.

“Fui is still weak and has lost about 15 kilos, but he is getting better.

“The main thing is he is okay, because the doctors said because he waited so long to get help it would have taken a lesser man out.”

It’s a reality that certainly hasn’t been lost on Moimoi, even though he left hospital on Friday after almost a fortnight.

“I’m just happy I’m still here — I’m very lucky and blessed,” he said.

“I’ve started walking around in the last two days, but the last eight days prior to that I’ve been in pain the whole time.”

Despite losing a significant amount of weight and strength, Moimoi was in good spirits on Friday when his wife and two children arrived from the United States to visit him.

Beaumont also confirmed the bookend has rediscovered his famed appetite.

“Fui is asking for the good old Burger King and KFC, so he must be on the mend,” he joked.

“The physio said to him he can eat what he wants and as much of it because he has got to build his body back up again.

“But we’re just glad Fui is okay, because it could have been a lot worse.”

– dailytelegraph.com.au

Reforms announced for Tonga by World Rugby

By
Kaniva Staff
-

World Rugby, the Tonga Rugby Union (TRU) and the Tongan government have agreed a package of reforms designed to address ongoing governance concerns within the union and support the future sustainable growth of rugby in Tonga.

Based on a common commitment to preserve and promote rugby development, the positive and constructive meetings in Nuku’alofa, set out to deliver an equitable solution regarding a number of unresolved administration and governance issues, the union’s debt and outstanding legal cases.

The agreed strategies include: Establishment of a 10-year tripartite funding agreement, encompassing all annual World Rugby, government and TRU funding, committed to the growth of rugby in Tonga in line with good governance criteria

Establishment of a joint management committee – comprising representatives of World Rugby, Tongan government and the TRU to oversee all aspects of the TRU high-performance programme

The re-establishment of the Tonga National Rugby Academy to include world-class player pathways and player welfare programmes to provide locally based players with a clear pathway to national team selection

A restructure of the World Rugby development investment programme to facilitate the re-invigoration of competitions in the outer islands, including ‘Eua, Ha’apai and Vavau.

World Rugby Chairman of the Rugby Committee, John Jeffrey, who attended the meetings, said: “Tonga holds a special place in the history and future of rugby and rugby holds a special place in the cultural, economic and social fabric of the kingdom.

“We are committed to working with the Tongan government and union to address the apparent issues and this prudent support package is a reflection of our collective commitment to rugby in Tonga and World Rugby’s ongoing support of rugby in the Pacific Islands.

“This collaboration and investment will provide an environment to further grassroots development for the wider rugby family in Tonga, while strengthening the high performance environment that provides a dedicated pathway for local players to represent Tonga on the international stage.

“Good governance is central to World Rugby membership and World Rugby remains committed to rugby in Tonga and supporting a robust and sustainable administrative and governance framework within the union that will enable the union to prosper on and off the field of play.

“This support package will also provide a pathway and an opportunity for the union to strive to gain eventual representation on an expanded World Rugby Council and we will work closely with the union to ensure that they have the ability to achieve the requisite good governance criteria.”

Tongan athletes dumped at the airport Deputy Prime Minister steps in

“Best paid ever” ‘Ikale Tahi failed to perform as expected, rugby boss says after three losses

Vunipola hits back after former interim CEO claims voting was unconstitutional

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