Day of upsets
Fans converged at Churchill Park to witness the soccer battle between eight teams and when the dust settles today, four giants would have stamped their mark.
The Sharmas Investment Labasa side is defending the BOG title and faced Suva and Ba and will play Nasinu today.
Rewa, Navua, Lautoka and Nadi complete pool B and in a day of upsets Nasinu thumped a star-studded Suva brigade (3-1) while Navua dumped Lautoka (3-1).
I’m sure fans enjoyed these upsets as our soccer cities were taught a soccer lesson by the underdogs.
Nasinu was unlucky to lose to Ba on day one as the penalty changed the momentum of the game.
The southerners were also unlucky to lose their mentor Tagi Vonolagi.
All the best to the Labasa side for the clash against Nasinu today and a big vinaka vakalevu to my brother in the United States Mr Ranjan Sharma for assisting the Babasiga Lions!
Red fire!
Rajnesh Ishwar Lingam, Nadawa, Nasinu
Place of civility
Couldn’t agree more with Graham Leung’s prescription for greater civility in public life (FT 8/8).
All we need to do to remind us of the pivotal place of civility in public life is to recall how political opponents were treated during our coups when civility became conspicuous by its absence.
Civility is indispensable in democratic politics and society.
Rajend Naidu, Sydney, Australia
Why the discrimination
I am writing to you expressing my concern on the restrictions of church attendance to 100 in comparison with the thousands of spectators watching a game for example the Nadroga-Namosi rugby match and the many other games to come.
Why is there discrimination in attendance?
God should be the priority in our lives, should he not?
Rev Daniel Sinclair, Lautoka
Budget debate
If you were not aware that Simon Hazelman is a FijiFirst supporter, you might think he was being sarcastic when he wrote last week that “the budget debate was simply a formality which was a waste of time and money!” (FT 1/8).
No doubt many, if not most Fijians, would agree with Simon as I do that “this budget would be passed no matter what anyone said”.
And maybe like-minded FijiFirst supporters don’t care to hear any opposing opinions.
But 49 per cent of the electorate who did not vote for FijiFirst candidates in 2018 may want to hear what the Opposition has to say even if debate is a mere formality.
I appreciate being able to watch Parliament in session on free-to-air TV and was pleased when Ro Teimumu Kepa called again for restoration of local government elections even though that seems unlikely, at least until the cows come home.
Our current Minister for Local Government repeatedly cites corruption of past councillors and mayors as a reason to not have local elections.
I believe she recently granted final approval for rezoning two residential lots overlooking mine from residential A to commercial C despite objections from a host of ratepayers.
Would this happen if the Suva City Council was again run by elected representatives instead of a special administrator appointed by the minister?
Would our own chosen city councillors have approved the construction of Great-Han International Company’s 63 luxury apartments on the residential A zoned cliff side of Princes Rd, or approved the 28 storey WG Friendship Plaza overdevelopment on MacGregor Rd?
Simon Hazelman informed us in one of his letters here about the demolition of Savusavu’s old marketplace where “someone messed up and messed up big time and the mess up has caused years of inconvenience to both vendors and customers alike” (FT 29/5).
Can Simon tell us if he reckons elected Savusavu Town councillors would have messed up as big and if so, wouldn’t voting them out of office at least give him some satisfaction?
Willard Miller, Ellis Place, Suva
Humble approach
Although many social welfare beneficiaries were extremely disappointed for not receiving allowances on time, the humble manner in which the Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation has come out publicly to state the facts and reassure is commendable.
I gather she even gave her mobile number.
This approach is one of the reasons why she belongs to a small group of likeable politicians in Fiji.
Mohammed Imraz Janif, Natabua, Lautoka
Blue Lane initiative
I trust we have sought some reprieve with the kingdom, on the Minerva Reef, as it is indeed vital to the Blue Lane initiative.
Vinaka.
Nigel Fiu, Owls Perch, Lautoka
