Fijian Affairs Ministry changes name to "Itaukei"

FBC News - July 31, 2010

The Ministry of Fijian Affairs will now be officially known as the Ministry of I-taukei. 

The change comes following amendments made to the Fijian Affairs Decree 2010.

It states that all written laws, including any promulgations, decrees and the titles of any written law be amended by deleting the word ‘Fijian’ and replacing it with ‘i-taukei.’

 Likewise, wherever the word ‘indigenous Fijian’ is used it is to be replaced by ‘i-taukei.’

Government says the legal framework within which the Ministry operates remains the same in terms of covering the Itaukei Affairs Act and Regulations, the Native Lands & Fisheries Commission Act, and the Native Lands Act.

Fiji Customs and Traditions

Mositi Vanuaso

A taste of Fiji. 'The Commonwealth Conversation'.

Clans Leaderless

IFEREIMI NADORE

Fiji Times - Wednesday, July 28, 2010

A TOTAL of 2462 mataqali (landowning units) and 584 yavusa (clans) have yet to choose their respective heads, the Native Lands Commission revealed yesterday.

This, according to provincial administrators, hindered the progress of developments within Fiji's 14 provinces.

They said that efforts to utilise native land for commercial purposes had to be shelved for most of the heads of the landowning units and clans have yet to be traditionally installed.

"The delay affects progress in terms of land development on the commercial level," said Roko Tui Bua Kalivati Tauvoli.

He said despite having an abundance of natural resources, developing the land in Bua was restricted because traditional leaders were yet to be confirmed in their positions.

For the Bua Province alone, 32 landowning unit heads and 162 clan heads have yet to be confirmed.

Mr Tauvoli said it was encouraging to see that some mataqali and yavusa had taken the initiatiave to traditionally install their leaders for the past six months.

He said failing to deregister the names of leaders who had passed away also contributed to the delay.

Based on the figures, Tailevu Province has the highest number of vacant positions for landowning unit heads with 377 recorded as of June this year.

The NLC said that filling vacant positions was an ongoing practice which they would like each province to fulfil for the benefit of the members.

However the NLC said each mataqali and yavusa had a strict criteria to follow before they forwarded the names to each provincial office for approval.

Roko Tui Ba Ratu Sireli Vesikula said yesterday that based on the figures a lot of work had to be done to avoid unneccessary delays.

He said filling the respective positions was the prerogative of the vanua.

He said that he would be calling a meeting for all chiefs in the province of Ba to remind them of their obligation to come up with names to fill up all the vacant positions.

He said the government machinery on development depended so much on the traditional leaders.

He said that unlike before, leadership in village settings today was crucial based on good governance, transparency and accountability.

Methodist church gives eviction notice

FBC News

Report by : Savaira Tabua - Monday, July 19, 2010

Tenants residing at a property owned by the Methodists Church in  Davuilevu  Housing  have been given an eviction notice effective from last week.

 

Methodist Church Assistant Secretary Tevita Nawadra told FBC news five families have been given 30 days notice to vacate a land they are about to develop.  

“The notice is usually for 30 days –if the notice is not being taken care of or if they do not agree with whatever has been given to them then we will move on to the next step  which is the Court Order – we will get a Court order to ensure the process of the law is being followed.”

 

However one of the tenants Hem Raj says they have been paying $20 a month in rent since 2007 to Ratu Loco of Navuso, Naitasiri.

Ratu Loco claims to be the rightful owner of the land the Methodist church wants to develop. 

Chief against church

Saturday, September 15, 2007

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Reason to be upset ... Ratu Loco Qiolevu

NAITASIRI chief Ratu Loco Qiolevu says he will never forgive the Methodist Church in Fiji nor partake in their asking for forgiveness and land cleansing process because they are liars and thieves.

Speaking in Fijian, Ratu Loco said the church had been taking land which was not theirs and extending their boundaries over the past 30 years and it was time somebody told the truth.

He said there was an agreement made by his forefathers of Navuso Village and the church for them to give more than 300 acres of land for the church to build schools and a theological college at Davuilevu but the church had extended the boundaries and made the land theirs.

Also, they had renamed Davuilevu Housing which was suppose to be named Naiqiliso, so known by the traditional owners of the land, and allowed it to be sub-divided, which was wrong.

He said this was not right because he claimed that money was given to the church before the new Rewa Bridge was built and the money should have been given to the landowners because they are the rightful owners.

Ratu Loco said that as much as he respected the owner of the church which was the Lord, it was the people running the church who were corrupt and did not conduct fair and clean dealings on land issues with landowners.

He said the landowners have been silent and respectful and never questioned the church on what was happening but it was time for a change.

Yesterday, a delegation led by Naitasiri divisional superintendent Reverend Moape Tavakula visited Ratu Loco's residence at Tamavua to inform him about the cleansing process which would start at Navuso Village on Monday.

Mr Tavakula said as protocol, they had come to inform and invite him to be part of the process. Also, he was going to conduct the process for the villagers of Navuso and it was part of the circuit and division's spiritual program.

Mr Tavakula asked Ratu Loco to be part of the land cleansing because it was important for the villagers and it would benefit the younger generation who sometimes were burdened with the wrongdoings of the past and this was the only way to undo it. He said the cleansing process would start on Monday and there would be asking for forgiveness by the villagers and blessing of old traditional sites because sometimes there were wrongs done by ancestors that hindered the progress of younger generations.

Ratu Loco told them he would never be part of any cleansing unless the church first asked for forgiveness from the landowners and villagers of Navuso because of what they had done. He said this was basically why he had dismantled the 22 houses at the church-run Navuso students farm a few years ago and seized all the farm implements because he wanted the church to pay for what they took from the landowners.

He showed the delegation letters sent to the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption Unit and the High Court on complaints against the church stealing land from the landowners.

He said it was about time someone went against the church and he did not have anything against the delegation but they needed to tell church president Reverend Laisiasa Ratabacaca what needed to be done. Ratu Loco said only and if the church admitted and asked for forgiveness from the landowners would be he able to forgive them for what they had done because it was the landowners whose land had been taken by the church.

Church general secretary, Reverend Ame Tugaue and assistant general secretary, Reverend Tuikilakila Waqairatu and FICAC deputy commissioner, George Langman could not be reached for a comment last night.

Landowners in bid to resolve dispute

Fiji Times - Friday, July 16, 2010

ONE of the landowning units embroiled in a dispute regarding the sand dunes in Sigatoka has revealed that all parties are working towards resolving the issue.

Aseri Kunawave, spokesman for Mataqali Navatanitawake in Cuvu, said sale of fine sand was expected to soon resume from the Sigatoka quarry as talks between all parties concerned had progressed.

"We are working together towards resolving our differences. Our main issue was the fact that middlemen were making money out of us. They were buying the sand for $15 per cubic metre and re-selling it at a larger price. What we have decided now is to have a pricing structure, which we are currently working out with NLTB and other industry stakeholders," he said.

Mr Kunawave said the landowners had now decided that all transactions would be carried out direct with project owners and would not involve middlemen.

"We want the people building to come direct to us-homeowners or building project developers, we have to remove middle men, because they have been stealing from us," he said.

The sale of fine sand from the dunes in Sigatoka was brought to a close in May this year by the NLTB because the extraction licence expired last October and no attempt was made for a renewal.

Landowners in bid to resolve dispute

Fiji Times - Friday, July 16, 2010

ONE of the landowning units embroiled in a dispute regarding the sand dunes in Sigatoka has revealed that all parties are working towards resolving the issue.

Aseri Kunawave, spokesman for Mataqali Navatanitawake in Cuvu, said sale of fine sand was expected to soon resume from the Sigatoka quarry as talks between all parties concerned had progressed.

"We are working together towards resolving our differences. Our main issue was the fact that middlemen were making money out of us. They were buying the sand for $15 per cubic metre and re-selling it at a larger price. What we have decided now is to have a pricing structure, which we are currently working out with NLTB and other industry stakeholders," he said.

Mr Kunawave said the landowners had now decided that all transactions would be carried out direct with project owners and would not involve middlemen.

"We want the people building to come direct to us-homeowners or building project developers, we have to remove middle men, because they have been stealing from us," he said.

The sale of fine sand from the dunes in Sigatoka was brought to a close in May this year by the NLTB because the extraction licence expired last October and no attempt was made for a renewal.

Wainunu dalo rakes in $thousands

by Theresa Ralogaivau

Fiji Times - Thursday, July 15, 2010

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Elenava Veiyala with dalo from Wainunu on display at the Agriculture show in Labasa

INCREASING levels of dalo farming at Wainunu district in Bua which is fetching as much as $225,000 per month in returns was hailed at the northern agriculture show.

Big dalo crops from Wainunu were on show attracting public attention and admiration.

Area agricultural officer Jovesa Turagasau said the district was making a huge economic impact in the province.

"There is an increasing wave of farming like never before," Mr Turagasau said.

"There are five middlemen each buying on average 30 tonnes of dalo every month for export."

The department recently supplied another 24,000 dalo tops for cultivation.

All the eight villages in Wainunu are involved in farming.

Tui Wainunu Ratu Orisi Baleitavea said villagers were being encouraged to utilise the land with dalo and yaqona farming as marketing opportunities opened up.

"The middlemen buyers come right up to our doorstep and the returns farmers are getting is encouraging more levels of farming," he said. "Before the lack of a market was a challenge."

An Evening With Na Gone Marama Bale Roko Tui Dreketi - Invitation

Date:  Saturday, 24 July 2010 

Time:  16:00 - 23:00 Location:  Aunty Rey Loa's Residence Street:  652 Scofield Avenue Town/City:  East Palo Alto, CA 

 Ni sa bula vinaka!

 

Rewa Media Committee California Branch is delighted to invite you to a Dinner and Bula Evening to raise funds for various activities and events for RMC in Fiji. RMC is headquartered in Toga, Rewa, and has hard-working professional men and women based in Suva, Nausori, Brisbane and the United States, as members.

 

RMC has kindly sponsored numerous activities and projects involving men, women, young people and children from a large part ofRewa Province, including social and religious, in the last two to three years. Among their major projects in recent weeks, apart from the monthly Lotu ni Yasana o Rewa, were hosting a large delegation of Adi Cakobau School Old Girls Association members in Lomanikoro to donate nearly a thousand colourful and illustrated Bibles to the children of Rewa, and also co-ordinating and sponsoring all major components of the successful Rewa Day 2010 which attracted thousands of Rewa people and their connections from all over the country in Nausori last month.

 

As the California-based member of RMC, I am honoured to invite you to this Dinner and Bula Evening, in which we will all come together to share news, views and typical Fijian fun, and raise funds for worthy causes and projects back home.

 

The event will be kindly co-hosted by Adi Cakobau School Old Girls Association, USA Branch, in the gracious presence of RoTeimumu Kepa, Na Gone Marama Bale Roko Tui Dreketi.

 

MENU, MUSIC AND PRIZES

 

We will have Lovo, Fish and Meat Dishes, Salads, Desserts and Drinks, both soft and not-so-soft (kaila).

 

There will also be barbecue on the side, the unmistakable FIJI Water by the packs and Yaqona by the bowls.

We will listen to old favourites and new vibes from Fiji, and also sing along with an EPA-based string band known to produce spontaneous music at such gatherings.

 

Please shed your boring formal clothes and come in your colourful Sulu vaka-Tonga, Fijian T-shirts, Bula Shirts, Mumu and Jamba, and Salusalu (kerekere me kua na tekiteki)

 

Two large bottles of one of the world's most prized spirits, the Bounty Fiji Rum from Lautoka, will go to the Best Sulu and Bula Fiji-clad Male and Female, while the Best Bula Couple will get one of Fiji's most prized mats, Ibe Kuta from Bua.

There will also be special prizes of Pure Fiji products and Fijian products for special illustrations by brave Fijians during the night.

The prizes have been kindly donated by Na Gone Marama Bale and her USA-based family members, and also by members of RMC in Nausori and Suva. They have all sent their love and best wishes for the occasion.

 

You are asked to pay $30 per person and donations are most welcome!

 

Please contact Ateca Cavu (ACSOG USA President - 650-771-0210, Mereoni Bola (ACSOG USA Vice President - 415-871-6990) or me, Vasiti Ritova (RMC California - 650-679-0169) for more information and/or directions to EPA for the event.

 

We invite all our families, friends, old scholar colleagues from Marist, QVS, RKS, Grammar, Ratu Sukuna, Lelean, St Joseph's, Levuka Public and St John's, Natabua, BMS etc, our colleagues, acquaintances, kei na mata veiwekani.

 

We will have neat fun and share many good things together as a family!

Vinaka vakalevu na loloma!

 

See you in East Palo Alto!

Vasiti Ritova (Rewa Media Comm - Califormia)

 

Please note, for further enquiries, do contact:

Ateca Cavu (ACSOG USA President - 650-771-0210,

Mereoni Bola (ACSOG USA Vice President - 415-871-6990)

Vasiti Ritova (ACSOG/RMC California - 650-679-0169)

 

 Me nomuni na kalougata!

Va Waqanisanini - Brisbane

(on behalf of Rewa Media Committee)

Workshop to record Fijian literature

By Geraldine Panapasa

Fiji Times - Friday, July 09, 2010

A SERIES of workshops is being organised by the University of Fiji's Centre for Indigenous Studies to produce education material in the Fijian vernacular for students in Form Seven and Foundation Studies.

The first of the series of workshops concluded yesterday after a week-long collaboration on Fijian culture and way of life.

University Fellow in Fijian Studies Rejieli Racule said the participants were mostly retired teachers and civil servants with vast knowledge of Fijian culture and literature.

"The workshop is one of three that we have organised centred on producing materials for Form Seven and Foundation students," she said.

"The participants have a lot of knowledge, wisdom and years of experience in the community.

"We hope to collect all the written materials they have produced at the workshop and turn it into maybe resource materials or a textbook for language and literature studies in Fijian.

"There are several materials in the Fijian language that is used in the school curriculum but it is mostly for primary schools.

"There are very few materials in the Fijian vernacular for secondary schools which is why this workshop aims to produce those written materials for students in Form Seven and those attending Foundation studies."

Ms Racule said the language and literature materials in the Fijian vernacular would cover a wide range of genres from short stories to poetry, expository and non-fiction materials.

She said the workshop was also aimed at creating awareness on the importance of the written word in Fijian.

"It is a very challenging task. We are very much an oral community when it comes to the Fijian language and the written form is usually very different from the oral use of language," she said.

Ms Racule said they hoped to produce the collection of written Fijian language and literature materials at the end of the workshop schedule.

New Tui Suva installed

Report by : Sekope Toduadua

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Ratu Epeli Kanakana

The Vanua of Nadonumai, has traditionally installed the new Roko Tui Suva.

Spokesperson Serupepeli Dakai of Suvavou village says that Metui Mudunavosa Ligasalei has been installed as the new Roko Tui Suva. 

Ligasalei replaces Ratu Epeli Kanakana who was laid to rest last week. 

Metui hails from the Vunimocelolo clan of Suvavou village. 

Dakai say the new Tui Suva was traditionally installed last week and will be spiritually bestowed this Sunday at the Suvavou Methodist Church.

The Roko Tui Suva is the traditional chief of the area that includes the nation's capital.

Headmen ready to enforce bylaws

by IFEREIMI NADORE

Fiji Times - Tuesday, July 06, 2010

VILLAGE headmen are expected to execute their duties as custodians of the new village by-laws as early as next month, the Fijian Affairs Board has confirmed.

Fijian Affairs Board deputy chief executive officer Colonel Apakuki Kurusiga said yesterday said a team assigned to put together the various recommendation from the 14 provinces of Fiji would be presenting a paper next month in which they hope to finalise a decision for its implementation.

Col. Kurusiga said the response from the 14 provinces was overwhelming.

"From what we gather all provinces fully support the village-by laws and want it implemented without further delays," he said.

"We'll put it to them and we'll see if they can allow it through. A lot of people want changes," he added.

He said because of the geographical locations of some provinces the deadline for submissions would finally close this week.

He said that some interesting inputs from various tikina such as Verata in Tailevu and even Ba Province was really encouraging. Ba Province, in its submission called for the banning of gay relationship, adultery and also eloping in village settings.

Col. Kurusiga said the FAB would hold a workshop for NGOs and various government departments within the next two weeks to gauge their views.

Mualevu chief, Ratu Josefa Basulu laid to rest today

Fiji Sun News - 5 July 2010

The Sau Mai Mualevu, Ratu Josefa Basulu will be laid to rest today at the the chiefly burial ground at Mualevu Village, Vanuabalavu, Lau. His Matanivanua Fifita Volau told the Fiji Sun at the Marine Jetty, Walu Bay yesterday, that Ratu Josefa died of prostate cancer at his daughter's residence in Nadi last week. He said Ratu Josefa was a chief for the people. "We will really miss his chiefly leadership," Mr Volau said. Ratu Josefa's last journey started yesterday from Nadi to the Marine Jetty at Walu Bay where his body was taken to Vanuabalavu by the government vessel "Iloilovatu.  He was accompanied by 80 people (10 each from the eight villages in the Mualevu district) and close relatives. Mr Volau said upon arrival at Lomaloma jetty, the traditional ceremony ivakasobu will be performed by some elders of Mualevu before proceeding to Mualevu village. Ratu Josefa was the deputy chairman of the Lau Provincial Council. The late Ratu Josefa was installed as Sau mai Mualevu in 1992.

Lands ministry identifies idle state land

Fiji Live News - 5 July 2010

Fiji’s Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources is now trying to determine and identify the total number of idle and un-utilized state land.

Permanent secretary for Lands, Lieutenant Colonel Neumi Leweni said the exercise has already begun in the central division as part of the Ministry’s commitment to land reform. 

“The data and information collected will help us correct an extremely inequitable distribution of land, to increase productivity,” he said. 

Land reform is part of government’s overall intent to facilitate access to un-utilized land whilst at the same time, look at ways to encourage the more efficient and productive use of land.

The Ministry has to this end, established a Land Reform Division following the Prime Minister’s endorsement for the Ministry to go ahead with its programmes to implement the Land Reform initiative.

Leweni is encouraging land owners to come forward if they want their land to be fully utilized with the land bank now established.

“We are not interfering with the work of the Native Land Trust Board as this land bank is for landowners who still have their lying idle which can be used for development,” he said.

Leweni hopes this will also help investors who are looking for land for development.

“Land constraints has and will continue to serve as the drive for the people, therefore we need to make strategic shifts towards a higher value-added and more land efficient economic activities,” he said.

He added at the same time, the government has to think up more productive ways of using land to support future growth.

“Higher productive use of land will enable us to accommodate both higher economic activities and a higher quality of life for the people.

He established that the Divisional surveyor’s in the north and the west are now working closely with their respective Commissioners to indentify land that has already been leased out but remains un-utilized or left idle.

Register with NLC

by Reijeli Kikau

Fiji Times - Saturday, July 03, 2010

THERE are seven disputed landowning unit title holders being looked into by the Native Lands Commission, says chairman Ratu Viliame Tagivetaua.

He said these were pending disputes.

"We are working on seven cases and once completed, a decision will be announced on the rightful title holder," he said.

Ratu Viliame said they had an annual budget of $20,000 allocated for solving disputed title holders.

As of April, 2496 heads of landowning units or turaga ni mataqali from the 14 provinces have not registered with the Native Lands Commission , he said.

Ratu Viliame said only 1830 had registered so far and others had to register to receive their lease monies.

"Our staff are conducting awareness programes and we are liaising with the Roko Tui on the issue," he said.

He said to register, the turaga ni mataqali had to produce a letter signed by all mataqali members confirming their appointment as head of their landowning unit. A confirmation letter would then be sent to the Native Land Trust Board on the issue.

Ratu Viliame said the confirmation letter would allow the turaga ni mataqali to receive their share of monies as title holders during the lease payments every month.

Native Land Trust Board General Manager Alipate Qetaki said he would comment on the issue later.