Soccer field or rice field
I could not believe my eyes upon the sight of the field condition of Subrail Park in Labasa during the Fiji FACT. It gets worse knowing that the pitch hosts the top tier teams of Fiji with excellent players across the country. Not just the quality of matches, but player hygiene and health is at risk. It looks like a rice field rooted between the pavilions. So many injuries and bruises to the players and I believe there is no consideration by the Fiji Football Association. Shambolic! RAYNAV CHAND, Nakasi
Dikinisa’s mission
Viliame Ravai and The Fiji Times had another beautiful literary piece in the People column (27/11). This time around Ravai’s piece titled “Dikinisa’s mission” centred on 18-year-old Dikinisa Curu who hails from Naitasiri and is a cleaner at Eagle Cleaning in Lautoka. With a heavy heart, Dikinisa shared her story and that she had a rough start in life after her father died when she was just in Year 3. Dikinisa described her father’s love and that his death was a big loss to her family as her dad was the sole breadwinner. She recalled how she cried a lot after his death. Dikinisa then shared how she was brought up and that she could not complete her education because it was too costly for her family. After seeing that her family was struggling to make ends meet, Dikinisa decided not to be a burden to her parent and to look for a job. It was pleasing to read that she was saving money for her tuition fees for next year. Dikinisa is the voice of other children who had to take a similar route to put an end to their educational goals and look for a job to help their parents. The COVID-19 impact has made things even more difficult. Such a heart-warming story in the People column, thanks to Dikinisa, Ravai and the people’s newspaper. Wananavu! Rajnesh Ishwar Lingam Nadawa, Nasinu
Saying and doing
During my travels around the West, I learned many things. One is how to cook a better dhal. Another is when to put spices in when making curry. All that aside, COVID has been with us for almost a year now. One such trip that made me smile with a slight snigger was when people who talked about how they did this and that and what they were gonna do. Yes, saying what you are gonna do and doing it are two totally different things. Yes folks, I’ve heard it all and it’s especially the males who say so. Has anyone ever wanted to kick someone in the “men’s department.” Allen Lockington Kava Place, Lautoka
Small fry
If I could, I would like to offer the Minister for Housing and Local Government some advice from the West. Madam Minister, stop worrying about looking for small change in the markets. Tell us, the people of Lautoka, what are you doing about the millions that went into the municipal swimming pool here in Lautoka? A pool for which the $7 million budget somehow ballooned to almost double and will probably cost a lot more because it is still under construction. We’ve heard, time and again, about an investigation being in the “pipeline”. It is both frustrating and irritating for us to see those “investigative pipelines” extend from one election into another, without any outlet in sight. My advice to you, madam minister, is to refocus your permanent secretary’s attention on the more pressing issues you yourself have been complaining about, specifically the corruption and stealing in areas under your watch as Minister for Housing and Municipal Councils. All the problems you keep calling our attention to through your media conferences are already known to us. So, please stop telling us what the problem is, we are not ignorant. We want to know what you are doing to address and rectify those problems because that’s what you are there for. My advice to you madam Minister is that “cheaters and liars” will always exist. The question is: Which cheater and which liar should you be focusing on – the big timers or the small fry? Dennis Anthony Rounds Waiyavi Stage 2, Lautoka
Bombing claim
So much has been written in the media and social media about a claim linking Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum to a bombing that was done in 1987. But what many people do not understand is this is a very, very complicated case to handle. It was committed 33 years ago. How many of us can remember what they were doing 33 years ago? Exactly where we were, who we met and talked to and all the things we saw? The complainant chose not to report it for 33 years. That is over three decades and many people who may know details of this case or hold vital information must have passed away. In our court of law, no one has to prove they are innocent. There has to be enough “admissible evidence” in court to prove someone “guilty beyond all reasonable doubt”. Police investigators will have to go through so many records to investigate. This takes time, and the sole reason for that is because the complainant herself chose to delay the lodging of her complaint for 33 years. You can not delay reporting a case for 33 years and all of a sudden demand that your case be put ahead in the queue. If she could wait for 33 years to lodge it, then there is no reason why can she not wait for another 33 years to have it finalised? Timoci Gaunavinaka Nausori
Our roads
If our roads were viewed as a part of the assembly line in a factory with measurable outputs, our roads including road users will be the most inefficient in producing a desirable outcome such as reduced travelling time and stress. Two things contributing to the inefficiency of our roads are: First, as we all know, the infrastructure does not support any form of efficiency. Pothole riddled roads, one lane as opposed to two are contributing factors to slow traffic flow. Add on poor planning of roads, because of government’s (present and past) lack of vision and ability to forecast population growth coupled with below quality workmanship and lack of collaboration with utility companies on long-term planning of utility networks and systems to support the growing population. Motorists continue to witness new tar-sealed roads being dug to make way for a pipe, cable or pole. Second, vehicle users on our roads play a huge role on the efficient use of our roads. Vehicles breaking down on our roads, slow vehicles travelling way below the set speed limit and not using the left lane on two lane roads, buses stopping in the middle of the road and not using bus stops, illegal parking to access dairy shops (because of poor infrastructure planning) are some of the contributing factors by drivers to the inefficient use of our roads. Motorists are often booked for speeding, I believe slow vehicle during peak hours should also be booked. They slow traffic and also become a risk when vehicles within speed limits want to overtake and use the road efficiently. Making our roads and road users effective should become a priority. There’s some good work being done in extending our road network into the rural areas, but the challenge overtime will be the maintenance of these roads. More awareness of rules and stronger enforcement to comply with road codes should also become a priority for LTA and the Ministry of Transport for motorists to be efficient road users. At the end of the day if our road infrastructure continues to deteriorate don’t expect road users to be efficient in the way they use the roads and output levels of road use to improve. Sailosi Naewe Naduru Road, Nausori
Coalition call
I believe all opposition political parties should form a coalition and be led by a capable politician before the next elections. Dan Urai Lautoka
Rugby questions
With the domestic rugby season drawing to a closure, it perhaps is an appropriate time to reflect and ponder over the 2020 season. One may start off with few questions. For example, how much do players in our provincial sides receive after each match? How much of financial support do provincial teams receive from rugby head office and what cost do they bear when hosting another team? What is the cost that provincial unions bear throughout the season? All in all, interesting questions and one hopes that there is more discussions with a view towards improving the development of the sport in 2021. Floyd Robinson Toorak, Suva
Is it enough
Is 16 days of activism enough? I would prefer 365 days of non-violent action against all violence. Tessa Mackenzie Suva
Common factor
Issues in multiple municipalities are being highlighted, I wonder what’s the common factor, oh that’s right! No more council elections. Nigel Fiu Owls Perch, Lautoka
Muddy water
Whenever it rains here in Savusavu, the “grog” is available on taps instead of a tanoa. It’s mixed in the reservoirs. Very cheap! Sharif Shah Savusavu
Media’s role
The role of independent newspapers is very clear cut. It is to put before the public the truth of what is going on honestly. When the independent media fail to do this, it is abdicating its responsibility to act in the public interest. The problem is some people in power have their own self-serving agenda to not accept that explicit role of the independent media. I believe the best example of this role denial is president Trump. He was exposed by the independent media. So he tried to dismiss the news media and reporters as “fake news”. But discerning minds know the truth about Trump. See the chapter titled “Resisting Trump’s War On The Media” in award winning author Masha Gessen’s book Surviving Autocracy ( 2020 ) for illumination. Rajend Naidu Sydney, Australia
