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Tongans encouraged to register for NZ immigration ballot

By
Kaniva Staff
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Citizens of Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati, Tuvalu and Fiji are encouraged to register for this year’s ballot under the Samoan Quota and Pacific Access Category, which takes place between 3 and 28 April.

Immigration Instructions recognise the special relationship between New Zealand and Samoa and the Pacific Access Category countries of Tonga, Tuvalu, Kiribati and Fiji. Each year up to 1100 Samoan citizens, 250 Tongan and Fijian citizens and 75 Kiribati and Tuvaluan citizens are selected by ballot to be considered for the grant of residence in New Zealand.

Eligible citizens of these five countries must be aged between 18 and 45 to register under the ballot.  The successful registrants selected from the ballot process will have eight months to lodge their resident visa applications; the principal applicant must also have an acceptable job offer from a New Zealand employer.

Prospective ballot registrants are reminded to make sure that they have the required forms and necessary documents. Only one ballot registration form is needed for each family. Photocopies of birth certificates must also be provided for everyone named on the registration form.

Immigration New Zealand will contact each ballot registrant via a mobile text message or email to acknowledge receipt of their ballot registration form including their Client Registration Number. Ballot registrants will need to hold on to this number to check the status of their registration after the ballots are drawn.

Pacific Access Category quota ballots will be drawn on 9 June and results will be announced on 16 June.

This year the Samoan Quota ballot will be drawn later to manage the significant number of registrations traditionally received. It will be drawn on 30 June and results will be announced on 7 July.

The relevant ballot registration forms and guides can be found at the following link https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/apply-for-a-visa/tools-and-information/forms-and-guides/live-permanently. Limited numbers of forms will be available at the INZ offices in Nuku’alofa and Apia.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to register their interest as early as possible.

Muʻa Saints, Vikings game ended early after fights break out

By
Alpha Latu
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The match between Muʻa Saints and Fasi Maʻufanga Vikings rugby league teams had to be stopped after brawls broke out between players and fans on Saturday 18.

Both teams were unbeaten before the match and when officials decided to call the game 20 minutes before full time Muʻa Saints leads 20 – 6.

The trouble started when a Viking player  landed a dangerous high tackle on a Muʻa Saints player, according to Talaki Newspaper.

Within a couple of seconds nearly every member of both sides was involved in a full-on mass brawl, with so many punches thrown it would be impossible to count.

Their supporters also got involved before the referee Tei Tahituʻa could be able to bring it under control.

The paper said both teams would face an executive committee final decision against their behaviour this week.

Living in leaky house is over for the Carmelite Sisters in Tonga

By
Kalino Latu
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A groundbreaking ceremony on Monday has marked an epoch in the history of the Catholic Church’s Carmelite Sisters in Tonga after living in poor housing conditions for more than a year.

Cardinal Mafi who led the prayer services during the ceremony thanked those who have helped made the dream to build the new monastery comes true.

The nuns arrived in the kingdom in 2011 and they immediately moved into a temporally monastery at the village of Fāhefa.

It was not long before the Sisters had to deal with housing issues including structural defects and roof that leaks whenever it rains.

Fr Sione Malakai Kātoa described the situation on his Facebook page and said:

“In heavy rain, they have buckets all over the place because the house is leaking. Many girls have come knocking at their door, but they haven’t got enough rooms for them”.

“Our people and the Diocese of Tonga have done a lot raising fund for this project. Our Communities overseas have helped out also”, said Fr Katoa.

A delegation from Samoa led by Mother Superior Sr Maria Elisapeta ocd, Sister Antonina ocd and members of the Samoa Charity Foundation for Carmelite Mission attended the historical ceremony.

They were joined by the Samoan Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Laauliolemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt, who is the Chairman, Karameli Tuala, Theresa Thomsen, Mulipola Anarosa Molio’o and member of the OCDS.

“It is my prayer that this Mission Appeal will help the Carmelite and the Diocese of Tonga to make this vision come true. It all began with Late Bishop Finau….then picked by his Successor Late Bishop Foliaki now Cardinal Mafi has embraced this Vision and with God’s help, we will make this dream finally come true in our time. Praise the Lord”, Fr Katoa said.

Driver charged after a hospital vehicle hit and killed church minister

By
Alpha Latu
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A 54-year-old man has been charged with reckless driving causing death after a Vaiola hospital shuttle hit and killed a church minister in Haʻateiho on Monday.

Rev. Tevita Mausia was walking to an early morning church service in Haʻateiho when the incident happened.

The Ministry of Health Director Siale ʻAkauʻola said the driver was one of their long serving employees and was an experienced driver.

He said they were shocked when they knew he was involved in the fatal accident.

Daughter in custody amid alleged assault of her mother

By
Kalino Latu
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A daughter who reportedly beat and verbally abused her mother has been arrested and was in Police custody.

Police acted after a caller revealed the incident to Radio 87.5 FM on Monday morning.

Police said the mother has been taken to Vaiola hospital for examination and she was later relocated to stay with another family member in Ha’ateiho.

As we reported, a woman told the radio talk back show the mother had repeatedly tried in vain to escape while her daughter beat and verbally abused her.

She alleged the mother has been dragged from a car and on the road while neighbours watched.

It was also alleged the mother, who is now confirmed to be 68-year-old, had been held against her will and forced to bathe on her own after being beaten.

It was claimed the mother was losing weight and regularly sought help from her neighbour.

At one stage the neighbour had threatened to call the Police when the daughter allegedly arrived at her home to retrieve her mother after she tried to escape while she was being beaten.

Radio host Katalina Tohi said she was shocked to hear about the incident and said the radio station would contact the Police.

“That’s cruel,” she told the caller.

The caller alleged the incidents began late last year after the mother returned from the United States, but because she respected her neighbour she had been reluctant to call Police.

She said this morning she had reached the stage where she could bear it no longer when she saw the mother being dragged inside the house and beaten.

She said they could tell when the mother was being beaten because they could hear her crying and screaming.

She said that recently, while they knew she was being beaten, they could not hear her voice, a sign she was physically losing energy and weight.

The woman appealed to the radio station to do something to help as the situation was deplorable.

She said she would not go into details on the matter, but she was willing to give evidence with her family if there was legal action to save the mother.

Shocking allegations of mother being abused aired on Tongan radio

By
Kalino Latu
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A Tongan radio station promised to call the police this morning after shocking allegations were made on air about a woman beating her mother in Maʻufanga and dragging her along the road.

Allegations about the assault were made on Radio FM 87.5 after a caller complained to the station’s talkback show.

A Police media spokesperson told Kaniva News this afternoon she was tracking down the matter from Police information unit.

The caller claimed a mother had repeatedly tried in vain to escape while her daughter beat and verbally abused her.

She alleged the mother has been dragged from a car and on the road while neighbours watched.

It was also alleged the mother, who is in her 70s, had been held against her will and forced to bathe on her own after being beaten.

It was claimed the mother was losing weight and regularly sought help from her neighbour.

At one stage the neighbour had threatened to call the Police when the daughter allegedly arrived at her home to retrieve her mother after she tried to escape while she was being beaten.

Radio host Katalina Tohi said she was shocked to hear about the incident and said the radio station would contact the Police.

“That’s cruel,” she told the caller.

The caller alleged the incidents began late last year after the mother returned from the United States, but because she respected her neighbour she had been reluctant to call Police.

She said this morning she had reached the stage where she could bear it no longer when she saw the mother being dragged inside the house and beaten.

She said they could tell when the mother was being beaten because they could hear her crying and screaming.

She said that recently, while they knew she was being beaten, they could not hear her voice, a sign she was physically losing energy and weight.

The woman appealed to the radio station to do something to help as the situation was deplorable.

She said she would not go into details on the matter, but she was willing to give evidence with her family if there was legal action to save the mother.

The main points

  • Tongan police are investigating claims a woman was beaten and dragged along the road by her daughter.
  • The investigation began after allegations about the assault were made on Radio FM 87.5 this morning after a caller complained to the station’s talkback show.
  • A Police media spokesperson told Kaniva News this afternoon she was tracking down the matter from Police information unit.
  • The caller claimed a mother had repeatedly tried in vain to escape while her daughter beat and verbally abused her.

Man electrocuted by high voltage line while climbing a tree

By
Alpha Latu
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A man died this morning after he allegedly came in contact with a high-voltage line in Haveluloto.

Reports claimed the man was at the top of a breadfruit tree with an iron rod to pick some breadfruits when the incident happened.

It is believed the power line was close to the breadfruit tree.

Emergency services were called to the scene, local reports said.

Police were contacted for comment.

Tonga will seek US$50m to help fight climate change

By
Kalino Latu
-

Tonga will apply to the UN’s Green Climate Fund next month for the US$50 million the government says it needs to address climate change issues.

Climate Change Minister Siaosi Sovaleni told Radio New Zealand the Eastern and Western coasts of Tongatapu and the islands of Ha’apai were particularly vulnerable.

“Most of our roads tend to be on the coastline and if we don’t do something about it, it will also affect those key infrastructure and that will affect people down the road who actually need those roads for transportation,” Hon. Sovaleni said.

Communities faced major problems with coastal protection, sedimentation management and capacity building.

Mr Sovaleni said work also needed to be done to protect marine life and coral.

The government should know by August if its application is successful.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is funded through the United Nations to help developing countries deal with climate change.

As Kaniva News reported last month, the Tongan government and the Asian development Bank have launched a Climate Change Trist Fund to fund community climate change projects.

This is part of a larger Tonga Climate resilience project financed by a US$19.25 million grant from the ADB.

The  main points

  • Tonga will apply to the UN’s Green Climate Fund next month for the US$50 million the government says it needs to address climate change issues.
  • Climate Change Minister Siaosi Sovaleni told Radio New Zealand the Eastern and Western coasts of Tongatapu and the islands of Ha’apai were particularly vulnerable.
  • The government should know by August if its application is successful.

For more information

Tonga govt says it needs $US50m to address climate issues

Green Climate Fund

Haʻateiho church minister is first fatal crash victim for 2017

By
Kalino Latu
-

The first person to be killed in a road traffic accident for 2017 in Tonga has been identified as Rev. Tevita Mausia of Haʻateiho.

A Police spokesperson said: “I can only confirm there was a road fatality at Ha’ateiho. The first Road death for the Year”.

The Mausia family had reported the incident on Facebook saying the deceased died after he was allegedly hit by a van this morning while walking to a church service.

Police hunt man who pointed gun at officer in Otara

By
Kalino Latu
-

A manhunt has been launched for a man who pointed a gun at a police officer as he was being chased in Otara

Inspector Wendy Spiller, Area Commander Counties Manukau East said about 4.40am this morning, a vehicle failed to stop for a routine Police check on Bairds Road.

Officers followed the vehicle for a short distance through Paptoetoe and Otara before abandoning the pursuit due to safety concerns over the manner of driving.

The pursuit lasted about four minutes.

A short time later, the vehicle was seen again on Bairds Road, where it crashed.

As officers approached the vehicle, the sole male occupant pointed a firearm at them.

The officers withdrew and the man ran from the vehicle.

A dog unit was deployed but was unable to locate him.

A scene guard is in place at the site of the crash and Police enquiries are ongoing.

Police have assembled a team of Detectives who are working to identify and locate the offender involved.

We take these types of incidents very seriously and have already made a number of enquiries.

We have carried out forensic analysis of the vehicle and are awaiting the results.

We will also be conducting area enquiries across the wider Auckland area.

If you have any information which can assist police then please contact Detective Sergeant Kepal Richards on 09 261 1300.

Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 08000 555 111.

You can also send us a private message on Facebook.

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