A TWENTY-year-old University of the South Pacific student has questioned how the Government will ensure customary landowners are properly informed and consulted about proposed constitutional changes affecting their land and resources.
Laite Masitabua, of Nasekula, Macuata, raised the concerns during the first public consultation on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill at the Suva Civic Centre yesterday.
Ms Masitabua, who is studying land management at USP and is a landowner, asked how the proposed amendments would protect customary land rights and ensure people in villages were given the opportunity to understand the changes and voice their concerns before development projects proceeded.
She also compared Section 28 of the 2013 Constitution with proposed Section 48 of the amendment Bill, questioning what practical improvements the changes would bring to the protection of customary land rights.
Ms Masitabua said land was more than an economic resource, describing it as central to the identity, heritage and future of indigenous communities.
She said the importance of land was particularly evident when students from rural communities came to the city to pursue their education and witnessed people experiencing homelessness.
For her, this reinforced the significance of having land within the vanua and preserving it for future generations.
Ms Masitabua also questioned how people in villages would be informed about the proposed constitutional changes, particularly if Government development projects were planned for their communities.
She sought clarification on whether the Government had plans to meet directly with landowners in their villages to explain the proposed amendments and discuss their implications.
The consultation at the Suva Civic Centre is the first in a series of public consultations on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill.
