Vakatawa’s impact
Virimi Vakatawa put up a rock solid performance for the Les Bleus as they beat a spirited Bravehearts outfit 22-15. It’s a pity that our boys could not flex their muscles against Virimi Vakatawa and his French brigade, and the Flying Fijians lost the opportunity to play Italy and Scotland, and our opponents were given easy points. We had high hopes before the Autumn Test. Sky Pacific had announced that it was airing live the Autumn Test, but fans fumed with frustration as all our games were cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, the matches are worth watching. I was impressed with England’s win over Ireland (18-7), and the Dragons win over Georgia (18-0). Boy oh boy, Vakatawa’s try was a beauty!
RAJNESH ISHWAR LINGAM Nadawa, Nasinu
LETTER OF THE WEEK 25/5-31/5
Judgements confusion
THE judiciary owes it to the people to take them out of the confusion various judgements have created.
DAN URAI Lautoka
LETTER OF THE WEEK 29/6-5/7
Sugar mill SOMETHING is not right at the Lautoka sugar mill. Every season it breaks down, It’s even fishy.
SUNIL KUMAR Lautoka
LETTER OF THE MONTH APRIL
The designated hour “THOSE were the days my friend, we thought they’d never end”. I found myself happily singing as I read John Kamea’s piece “The designated Hour” in The Sunday Times. Evidently too many people feel the curfew and social distancing will never end. But the song is really a nostalgic longing for lost good times; like when parents had control and sensible punishment was allowed. Now it seems not even prime ministers are obeyed. The police have their thankless nightly task of taking in the disobedient. The old corporal punishment is gone, but how about some community work for offenders instead of jail: help clean and rebuild after Cyclone Harold; clear the endless rubbish that festoons our streets, parks and waterways; grow some vegetables for the poor. I am sure we can find spare land. Dr Reddy will give out some seeds. I would love to hear a magistrate hand out “Three months to produce one hundred cabbages and 20 pumpkin and 50 cucumber for the Bayly Clinic”.
TESSA MACKENZIE Suva
LETTER OF THE MONTH JUNE
How to fill a pothole
ANTHONY Sahal suggests that we engage Japanese road experts. Amrit Singh wants people to email FRA on where the potholes are. Abdul Khan suggests that highway engineers study weather patterns before building roads. Building roads? Where are the new roads? The other day, I saw a new road worker’s sign. It read “PotHoling”. There were some Asian looking workers on site. I assumed they were road engineers. I paused to check what these “engineers” were doing. I was quite surprised. They were actually showing the workers how to use a shovel and fill a pothole. There must be some complex physics and mathematics equations involved here, I assumed. At another worksite, there were three other Asians, maybe more “engineers”? This time, they were not showing others the complex formulae of filling potholes. It was something more complex. They were all on their phones! At the same time. They were probably getting advice from HQ on the correct formula to use! What formula you may ask. How to fill a pothole! Once again, I say Isa!
KINIVILIAME KETECA Nausori
Northern tour
Resign immediately
I REFER to the letter by Jan Nissar of Carlton NSW Australia ( ET 19/11) demanding that the board and management of FRU resign immediately for incompetence regarding the Northern Hemisphere tour. First and foremost, I suggest that FRU chief executive officer John O’Connor reply accordingly for Nissar’s ridiculing of Fiji Rugby Union. I have replied to many of his letters regarding his so-called Micky Mouse 7s rugby. His is again blaming the 7s code for this state of affairs, being of “kaila” attitude and for the FRU board to get lost “as they are useless and an embarrassment to Fiji rugby and all Fijians”. Mr Nissar, your letter is full of venom towards Fijian rugby, especially my favourite 7s code, creating history by winning the Olympics gold. To refresh your poisonous mind, may I tell you that our honourable Prime Minister is the president of FRU. On the one hand your criticise him and the board, and you asking him to fix the state of affairs. In brief, your views will never change the mindset of our proud rugby nation, kaila and maybe you visit a coal mine in Australia and rub your tongue with “koila”. Haha, kaila again.
TOMASI NANUQA Tavakubu, Lautoka
LETTER OF THE WEEK ENDING 15/6-21/6
Everyday people
On FT it’s great to read articles and letters that depress what’s on the heart of everyday Fiji people. From the USP tug of war, to bure maca wai in Naivikinikini settlement, to some good news, such as the new sea walls in Tailevu and road repair demands on our Suva roads, much is reported by FT. Thank you sir. Mr Hazelman calls for “common sense” regardless of academic stature, as does Mr Natano of Pacific Islands Forum chair. Parents making kids sell roti, or coconuts is appalling too. What is our government leadership doing about all of these problems? Surely ministers need to take responsibility to ensure that: 1. Living without water regularly never happens in this country any more, despite Peni Shute of WAF claiming they “will respond when we are ready”? What on Earth does that mean for thirsty kids and unhygienic settlements that exist for years with such water issues? How was this ever approved in the first place?; 2. That any parent caught forcing their child to work the streets under 16 years of age, needs to face the full brunt of our law, and be penalised appropriately. It’s a crime that must be halted to stop all forms of child labour; 3. School must start ASAP; 4. Government needs to urgently make ‘3’ happen, for the future of all our kids’ education in Fiji. This comes before the university woes. They are big enough to sort themselves out and use their multiple collective brains; 5. I believe the USP council needs to sort out their own governance immediately; and its financial situation with accountable public transparency to all its stakeholders, including students and membership countries. Also I believe USP needs to think of accountability globally and sustainably, not just regionally — for its own sake — or it’s in danger of becoming a backwater regional university without integrity or reputation. It doesn’t take scholarship to realise their messes are of international concern. Do they want to continue to wash their dirty laundry in public? Too late — they already are; and 6. And as Emosi Bale correctly says, we do not call ourselves “second class citizens” not to any neighbouring countries — who need us as much as we need them. Otherwise why would they invest so much in us as the hub of their necessary Pacific link in the world? Fiji needs to stand on her two feet and be all we are created to be. Stand firm stand strong — “Kia kaha” irrespective of what any neighbours think. That is what makes us who we are, our own self determining people. Like any other free nation.
JEAN HELAN HATCH Suva
