Zone champions march on!
The Southern and Eastern zone champions rightfully booked their spot in the final of this year’s Vodafone Super Deans final. Suva Grammar School, who beat Nasinu Secondary School 29-22 in a thrilling and exciting final, thrashed underdogs Ra High School 51-0. Grammar’s accuracy and dominance at the set-piece worked wonders. Their forwards were devastating and Ra High found it difficult to contain them. Suva Grammar last won the Deans in the U19 grade in 2001 when they thrashed Ratu Kadavulevu School 34-10. After that the closest they came to winning the Deans U18 title was in 2022, but they lost to archrivals Marist Brothers High School who won 9-8, ending a 44-year-old Deans drought. Lelean Memorial School made a huge statement after they thumped RKS 29-17 in the final of the Eastern zone as fullback Ratu Apenisa Navukitu delivered a clinical and sensational performance. Lelean, who last won the Deans trophy in 2014 after defeating RKS 13-8, outclassed Nasinu Secondary School 32-7. They put on a warrior’s performance, defending well and making use of scoring opportunities. Grammar is out to end a 25-year-old drought, while Lelean will aim to end their 12-year-old drought. Best wishes to both sides! RAJNESH ISHWAR LINGAM Nadawa, Nasinu
Why demonstrate?
FWCC demonstrators during Israel’s Embassy opening (FT 16/8/26). What was the demonstration about? It seems and I am certain, Ms Ali has always been spearheading similarities, against Israel. Do the rest of the demonstrators understand what they were doing? Or they just followed what their leaders have been feeding them? Most times, all the sources of information about Israel, I am certain, are fabricated and ill-informed. The flag they were exposing was never a flag of any legitimate country, in my opinion. Where in the world can we locate the State of Palestine? Even after the UN has declared it. The Arab historian Philip Hitti testified, “There is no such thing as Palestine. There were no Palestinian people, with no ancestral land”. Unlike Israel, it has been existing as the State of Israel, I believe, for over 77 years. In fact, Israel is the only “democratic” and the most “productive” state, I believe, in the Middle East, today. And Fiji should learn so much from such a tiny country, instead of trying to belittle its right to existence. God bless Israel. Samu Silatolu Nakasi
Thank you, Motibhai Group!
The Fiji Cancer Society is blessed to have a generous organisation like the Motibhai Group who raised $50,000 through the Bushells Fiji’s Biggest Morning Tea at the Motibhai Business Park in Nadi. I salute the leadership for the loving and caring heart and for having the morning tea as an annual event to raise funds and support the Fiji Cancer Society which looks after persons battling the deadly cancer. Established in 2006, the Bushell’s Biggest Morning Tea is the Fiji Cancer Society’s longest running and largest fundraising initiative, and this annual campaign reflects the longstanding partnership between the Motibhai Group and the Fiji Cancer Society. My mandali (religious group), Balgovind Nadawa Satsang Ramayan Mandali, has also joined hands with the Fiji Cancer Society with an annual donation after celebrating the birth of Lord Rama. I agree with Motibhai Group of companies business development manager Nitesh Chand (FT: 15/08) that, “Cancer does not discriminate. It touches all of us, our mothers and fathers, our brothers and sisters, our friends, and neighbours. Events like this remind us that, in the face of hardship, we are never alone. We are stronger together”. Vinaka vakalevu to the Motibhai Group! Rajnesh Ishwar Lingam Nadawa, Nasinu
Roundabout manners
I have noticed an increasing number of motorists giving way to other vehicles at roundabouts, even when they have the right of way under the right-hand rule. While this may appear to be simple road courtesy, it can actually create confusion and increase the risk of accidents. Other motorists depend on the vehicle ahead to follow the established rules so they can judge when it is safe and how quickly they can proceed through the roundabout. At roundabouts, consistency is extremely important. Motorists should follow the right-hand rule rather than unexpectedly giving way, except where necessary for situations such as emergency vehicles, road works, pedestrians or other genuine hazards. Good road manners are important, but predictable driving is even more important for road safety. If every motorist follows the same rules, everyone can better understand each other’s intentions and navigate roundabouts safely. I guess road courtesy should never come at the expense of road safety. Shamal Chand Kuku Village, Nausori
Pay pensioners
Some Fiji Times LTE writers celebrating FNPF 60 Years milestone still hope and pray they will be paid their dues they rightfully deserve. This includes 1400 remaining pensioners. They should present their case jointly to FNPF. Act today as no one knows if we celebrate the next Christmas or even tomorrow. Long life is everyone’s wish, but health first. God bless. Tahir Ali Hamilton, New Zealand
Noisy bikes
There aren’t sufficient police traffic officers along the Namaka – Martintar – Denarau Bypass Roads to monitor regular speeding and noisy motor-bikes and cars. This is an ongoing problem. Is there a solution to this public nuisance? The problem must be nipped in the bud without delay. Police traffic officers’ presence is badly needed – even at random intervals – morning, afternoon and evening is better than nothing. Ronnie Chang Martintar, Nadi
Why the extra security?
Human rights defender Shamima Ali says citizens have a right to know what specific threats the Israeli Embassy in Suva face for the presence of more police at the embassy and the deployment of additional security measures (The Sunday Times 18/8). I believe the Israeli mob in Fiji and elsewhere are paranoid after all the atrocities the Israeli State committed in Gaza and the West Bank and continue to commit even after a ceasefire and peace plan has purportedly been put in place. Read the report ‘Israel sends troops into West Bank’ (Reuters/ FT15/8 P45) for an insight. The Fiji police action is understandable. On behalf of the pro-Israeli Fijian State it is pandering to the Israeli paranoia. Please correct me if my reading is wrong. Rajend Naidu Sydney, Australia
Kamikamica’s views
While reading your newspaper, I was overjoyed to read the views expressed by none other than the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Communications, Manoa Kamikamica. His forward-thinking vision highlights several key pillars crucial for the progress of our beloved nation. Firstly, it is of paramount importance to implement the proposed National Identification framework. A centralised national identity system is likely to safeguard citizen privacy, enhance data protection, and secure the handling of personal and biometric information. Beyond streamlining administration, this infrastructure will allow the Government to proactively monitor and combat unscrupulous activities such as money laundering, financial fraud, and tax evasion, thereby protecting the hard-earned incomes of ordinary Fijian citizens. Secondly, laying the foundation for a more digitally enabled government will bring immense advantages to a developing archipelago like Fiji. Digitisation eliminates geographical barriers, allowing citizens in maritime and rural zones to access essential public services instantly without travelling to urban centres. It reduces bureaucratic red tape, improves transparency, and drastically improves the ease of doing business. However, as we expand into the digital space, we need to implement strong cybersecurity frameworks to combat the rise of sophisticated cybercrimes that threaten our financial systems. Beyond the digital transformation highlighted by the Deputy Prime Minister, I believe we must concurrently address deep-seated societal and infrastructural challenges if we are to truly secure our future. For instance, the rising trend of HIV infections among our young population is a pressing crisis that needs urgent awareness campaigns and medical intervention to protect the very backbone of our future workforce. Similarly, the structural and operational challenges facing the Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital must be addressed immediately to cater to the medical needs of our rapidly expanding capital city population. To complement the Government’s vision, I strongly urge the current administration to fast-track and prioritise the proposed plan to develop a multi-superspeciality hospital in partnership with the Indian government. With the alarming increase in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, having a fully equipped, specialized local facility will allow these conditions to be treated right here at home. This will save ordinary families from spending thousands of hard-earned dollars travelling overseas or straining their resources at expensive private clinics. Furthermore, revitalizing our healthcare system and creating specialized medical environments is a vital step toward mitigating our severe brain-drain crisis, helping to retain the talented doctors, nurses, teachers, and tradespeople who currently migrate abroad in search of better opportunities. Finally, the Government’s shift toward diversifying our economy beyond traditional pillars is highly commendable. Investing heavily in commercial agriculture, information and communications technology (ICT), niche tourism, kava, and mahogany will permanently transform Fiji’s economic landscape. As a progressive addition to this diversification strategy, I believe Fiji should aggressively tap into high-value niche markets like moringa and specialised coffee cultivation, which hold massive global potential but remain largely underutilised. On the technological front, major milestones like Google’s digital connectivity investments in Fiji, the local deployment of Starlink, and the rollout of 5G infrastructure have massive potential to close the digital divide, expand regional connectivity, and spark entirely new economic opportunities. These strategic initiatives, coupled with a strong focus on healthcare and agricultural innovation, will position Fiji as the economic and technological hub of the Pacific—a model to be admired and followed across the region. Thank you, sir, for championing such far-sighted ideas. Shiu Kumar Laucala Beach Estate, Suva
