Things couldn’t be much worse in Fiji as the collapse of government services worsens and our politicians are locked in a blame game while our institutions crumble and ordinary people suffer.
Hope is in very short supply as we go further and further down the Zimbabwe road of failed infrastructure, a failed criminal justice system and a failure of leadership that has triggered a crisis of confidence in our traditional role models across the board, whether it is our politicians, our police or prefects in our schools. (The shame of the Head Prefect of Ratu Kadavulevu School pleading guilty in court to assaulting a fellow student is cause for national shame).
As is my wont, Grubsheet got up early this morning to review the papers and was woken with a jolt by a series of headlines that point, even more than usual, to a nation in genuine crisis.
The first three pages of the Fiji Times – our traditional newspaper of record and the unofficial “first draft of history” – are a chronicle of finger pointing, failure and misery. And it is little better over at the Fiji Sun, with its two page spread revealing that the new Online Safety Commissioner and nephew of the Queen of Tarts is the subject of a police complaint himself for online harassment.
But let’s just start with the Fiji Times front page and go from there – another pathetic non-story from the Prime Minister’s resident handmaiden, Cheerieann Wilson, that is not only totally un-newsworthy but not even current, let alone future looking. Just more raking through the spent coals of the relationship between Sitiveni Rabuka and Frank Bainimarama, casting the Prime Minister yet again as someone who has forgiven his old adversary. Journalistic rubbish of the first order.
Then turn the page and the blame game begins in earnest – the Health Minister saying that our hospitals and health centres are short of vital supplies because they come from overseas.
They’ve always come from overseas, you fool. You just need to get the Finance Minister to borrow more money to buy them and have staff competent enough to order them. Oi, I see. Yes, you’ve got a real problem.
Then a real doozy on the same page – “Blinky Bill” Gavoka stays as Deputy Prime Minister when he is no longer SODELPA leader not because his successor, Aseri Radrodro, is a domestic violence abuser who almost killed his former wife, the Prime Minister’s daughter, and had a “brutal” illicit sex session with Lynda Tabuya in Room 233.
It’s not even anything to do with having the competence to be deputy prime minister. It’s to do with which part of Fiji “Blinky Bill” comes from – which tree he happens to have fallen out of.
Get this, Fiji, and weep. Good old tribalism, just like Zimbabwe or any other African hell-hole.
So defending the “honour of Burebasaga mua-i-ra” is what the national interest demands? Why not just settle it clubs?
Then the blame game goes to an entirely new level on page 3 when get this – wannabe prime minister Manoa “I’ll work harder if you pay me more” Kamikamica blaming everything that has gone wrong under the Coalition on FijiFirst.
Never mind that this scandal-prone rabble of incompetents has been in power for more than two years (26 months), it’s all Frank and Aiyaz’s fault.
But don’t worry, the Aussies will always be there to wipe our butts.
Really? Kamikamica really is the bitter end – a world-class buck-passer and bullshit artist.
And then right below that article , the police are being “directed to undergo a spiritual enhancement program” to counter a breakdown of moral conduct in the force.
Discipline in the Force buck-passed to the Almighty. As in “Please God, help me to be less incompetent and corrupt”. As if it is going to make a jot of difference.
Over at the Fiji Sun, it’s the same story – a front page in which “Mad Mo” Bulitavu and sensible Premila Kumar go toe-to-toe in a championship bout of finger pointing.
Then turn the page and surprise, surprise. Justice David Ashton Lewis and Janet Mason still haven’t got their “urgent meeting” with the Prime Minister over Barbara Malimali continuing to intimidate witnesses at the inquiry into her appointment as FICAC Commissioner.
More vaka malua from the “Snake”, who appears intent on slithering away from his constitutional responsibility to suspend Malimali for her outrageous conduct.
And then down-paper in the Fiji Sun, this:
Yes, folks, the new Online Safety Commissioner and nephew of Lynda Tabuya is evidently as big a hypocrite as his aunt – accused of online abuse himself.
Is there no end to these iTaukei ( and they are all iTaukei) linked to the current government benefiting from nepotism to get into high-paying positions of responsibility when the skeletons are heaving on the hinges of their closets?
So there’s a slice of my early morning, Fiji. Wading through a pile of veka looking for pearls of wisdom and hope and finding none. Zip, zero, zilch.
Of course, I am in padded exile in a properly functioning country. But when are Fiji’s elite going to heed the plight of ordinary people suffering because of their self-indulgence and incompetence?
People genuinely in distress as our politicians play their games on their vastly increased salaries and point their fingers at each other when many ordinary Fijians can’t get water – the most basic necessity of life.
And to think that we have given a tax break to billionaires shipping our water to the rest of the world. Yes, Mister “I have the Means”. It is obscene.
Anyway that’s it, Dear Readers. It’s, er, 2.39 am and I’ve had more than enough. Going back to bed to put my head under the sheets and dream of what might have been in the land of my birth had the Fat Cats of Fiji not taken all the cream and left your average Tomasi, Mere, Mohammed or Pushpa to fend for themselves.
Never mind, all you people without water. How about a “spiritual enhancement program” instead?
Isa Viti. I’m sorry but with this crowd, you are well and truly f**ked.
Prayer isn’t going to help but perhaps your vote next year might. So for God’s sake, get angry and get organised. Grab any potential candidate you can find with the brains and integrity to dig us out of this mess and get them to stand. Because time is fast running out.
Sit back with the popcorn and enjoy the so called protectors of the land and its native people take us for a ride.
This is getting hillarious now. The people, I mean those supporting the likes of Rabuka are so dumb, they cant even see the runaway train coming at them with full lights on.
Soon Biman will be forced to devalue our dollar, raise vat further, and dont even talk of the crime and lawlessness on the streets. All these are in forms of congratulations to the people of fiji from the government.
The level of law breaking that we see on the street is insane. Every single person seems to be breaking some law. Just look at the rubbish on our streets, littering is at levels never seen before.
Anyway, let’s sit back and enjoy the formation of the Pacific Zimbabwe.
Biman and Rabuka milking Fiji while people living on noodles and bread, and maybe sometimes Sunbell tuna.
Just to give perspective, an average housemaid in fiji earns 30 dollars a day. Biman and Rabuka collect 3000 a day on overseas trip. The average housemaid will need to work 100 days straight to earn what Biman and Rabuka just get in allowances a day.
Its not all bad though, when our currency hits the deck, we’ll all be millionaires as the government will print money and distribute to people, as Lynda Tabuya once suggested.
With the law, just remember if you are wealthy then dont worry. You can also convert methamphetamine to epsom salt and cannabis into curry leaves, but just in case you are poor then you could go in for even for i leaf in your pocket.
“i leaf”? Where do I get that?
Reading through the papers today we definitely confirm the general acceptance that things are so bad! But we also accept that ITaukei people will always be gullible and depending on who lies best in the next elections, we are likely to get a dumb person leading Fiji in 18 months. Heck some close to the Coalition govt are even suggesting to prolong the elections further than next year .
It’s now widely shared that this govt wants to change the constitution and the Electoral
Act recently endorsed for public consultation by cabinet, to allow for a return to 1997 electoral laws of first past the post . You see Rabuka and his cronies have figured that their unpopularity means they don’t stand good chance to win under the D’Hondt system. But they don’t realize with the current system , they get more chances to have people outside of their constituency to vote for them. Many from Navatu for instance don’t like Rabuka. Many are envious of the influence he has. The old tribal jealousy is likely to cost them their chances of a seat. Similar to the other candidates from around the country. But never mind. That’s what they want so off they go trying to change the elections model for next year.
Meanwhile Blinky Bill went around paying for meetings in the West to try and hold on to the position of DPM. His people in Sodelpa who benefit from him via contracts and tourism business include idiot Seremaia Tuiteci who’s been spreading all kinds of rubbish about Aseri Radrodro. Including that he is Rabuka’s grandchildren’s father and thus he will always sympathize with Rabuka. (Tuiteci and Gavoka have Ro Teimumu and Tanya Waqanika and others working with Gavoka. These lot believe Rabuka will not only lose next year but has to be jailed). I agree with the jailed part!
With Rabuka on forgiving Frank? No way!! His just being his usual con self. Look at the cases mounted against Frank and Aiyaz. There’s a few to be heard shortly . Rabuka is a compulsive liar and has always harbored feelings of insecurity which is projected towards those he feels are better than him .
So don’t wait up folks and just prepare for the worst. Houses will continue to be robbed and drugs will soon be bought from the corner shop without hindrance from the Law enforcers.
Keda na qai sarava tiko qo na nodratou duka o Rabuka, Manoa Kamikamica kei Fili Vosarogo. Wili kina o Rt Naiqama. Ro Teimumu. Gavoka kei na Kena vo.
Graham, Aseri Radrodro is a child out of wedlock born to a woman of Naitasiri. He will always be seen as a bastard child not fit for ITaukei aristocracy. Forget about him beating his ex wife when he caught her in bed with her lover the son of one of the KUBUABOLA’s. Forget about his scandalous sexual romp with the Queen of Slut Bubu Lynda. It’s the fact that Aseri is a Indo Fijian sympathizer that will get him into the bad books of these extremist nationalists.
Sadly Radrodro doesn’t have the intelligence nor the fortitude to draw a good following. He will struggle when it comes to good candidates. PAP will provide the top ITaukei candidates because people believe Rabuka is the man to beat. Despite his obvious lack of leadership skills, Rabuka will be doing his giveaways for the elections and the people will forget his non delivery . They’ll vote for him and his cronies again until post elections when the groaning will start again LOL.
Moce Viti! You get the govt you deserve !
I want to know where the inquiry is into the Fiji Water tax holiday. This was the high point of bad governance and has left a nasty stain for Fiji. Ironic that clean running water is what we need while billionaires take Fiji’s natural resources and get a tax holiday to boot. What a disaster. You could not make this up.
The Fiji Times is really living up to its name of toilet paper. Yet another totally irrelevant story on page 1. There are so many bigger issues in the country and their front page is Rabuka boasting about forgiving Frank. Who gives a rat’s arse, Fiji Times! Both Fred Wesley and Cheerieann Wilson should be sacked for this journalistic abomination.
The only hope I have is that Graham Davis runs for PM. Even though he doesn’t live in Fiji but there seem to be exceptions on everything and for everybody else.
His intelligence and understanding of the government is unmatched. He can eloquently speak on a global level without slurring his words or sounding stupid. I wouldn’t be embarrassed if he goes to Washington. More importantly I know he’d start solving local issues that are already known to him. He could do it from Australia faster than Rabuka who is playing golf and in his home gym. It takes some intellectual ability to do run a nation and specially turn it around.
I can’t imagine GD would actually put his health at risk in this 5th world shit hole now. If he could work remotely it would still be better than what we have got!
Well it was my only hope but I am just going to go cry for Fiji now as I can’t see a way out. I truly wish that people in Fiji can see that it’s not about race and we should all want prosperity for all. Getting people to fall for their scam about race was the perfect way to control the money.
Crikey. When the mantle rests on me, things must be even more desperate than I thought. But thanks for the vote of confidence. I am certainly here to help by supporting whoever emerges who is deserving of support.
[The Colonialism Blame Games. The Hunger Games (Hollywood fiction).
Blame the Bainimarama and Aiyaz Games ]
Blaming colonization for all of Fiji’s predicaments has been replaced by blaming the previous Fiji First govt for all that is wrong.
It would be interesting to know from Kamikamica and Biman how many decades or centuries it will take for Fiji to recover from the alleged tyranny and decline of the past 14 or 16 years under Bainimarama/ Aiyaz. The Coalition Govt seems to indicate they are incapable of changing anything for the better in their lifetime or ever. In that case they should voluntarily resign from the impossible task and let others take a turn.
STOP the Pathetic BLAME GAME ! #&@$*&
In the world of the ‘Hunger Games’, the Capitol lives a life of extravagant wealth and consumption. Meanwhile, out in the ‘districts’, millions of people work dangerous jobs with low pay. As the Capitol wallows in excess, the districts can barely afford to feed their children…..
Dear Minister of Health. There are certain types of drugs that are Not in Short Supply that also come from overseas. (South America etc) Those importers must have better planning and logistics abilities than you and your ministry!
The Minister’s ridiculous lalaland comments are beyond belief – this govt may as well BLAME the water shortage due to water having to be imported from overseas.
Fortunately for Fijian consumers the private importers of Flour, cooking oil and Epsom Salts do not have the same logistical nightmare in procurement that the Health Ministry is having in getting supplies into Fiji.
Essential drugs are not in short supply. They are always and should always be available. Tell the stupid doctor and minister to stop fooling people.
GD, at the beginning of Batiwale’s appointment I laid a challenge. I said to give him 6 months and he will be gone. His employment history shows that he never lasts anywhere for more than 6 months, and if the employer is lucky then one has to see who the boss is.
A person worth of credibility overseas has a glowing CV on LinkedIn or a credible work history. Batiwale has none. Oh! He is no longer on LinkedIn too. One may ask why? Maybe the Fijians overseas will know about an online person who pretended to be someone else on a dating website. Yes, Fiji, your online commissioner needs more than that current investigation in Fiji.
Good luck. The country gets what it deserves. A curse.
Just wondering what the horrible, sorry honourable PM is planning to do with that rope he is holding in your picture at the start? I have a few ideas!!
I leaf? I leaf is the process of leafing through the pages in despair at this vacuous, popularity contest. It’s vox pop masquerading as journalism. I’m afraid this has been going on for some time, but it’s just getting worse as the problems mount, the blame game intensifies and the inability to take responsibility gets shifted to the Almighty.
Obviously those temptations have to be avoided and the media can help by asking the tough questions. But the first thing leaders have to do is act on what they must already know: that every time you take money from the hand of an emissary bearing gifts, the other hand will always take something in return.
Leaders should imagine none of these people exist. What do we do now?
Maybe start by using our own wood here to value-add for building and spend our own money wisely. Buy the things we need: the bitumen, concrete, pipes and steel and somehow persuade the tradesmen lost to other countries to return and do the building. For that to happen we must provide them with opportunity and security – for generations. Give them confidence actions and reward, not just in words, that everyone is in this together and all will be protected.
Make sure the activities of business houses are for the benefit of the country, not just for their own pockets at the expense of the health of the population. This includes the peddlers of product in plastic bottles choking the environment and the oceans, and those employing farming practices that erode priceless top soil and deplete marine resources.
But number one is to take personal responsibility. Own the problems, don’t blame someone else, and especially don’t look to the heavens except maybe to count your lucky stars and realise that what’s in fact coming down from there is just more rain and sunshine. Both are precious assets which when used well in a cared-for environment will deliver many benefits.
In my despair I don’t know whether I’m a Vitian or a Vivian. A Fijian or i- taukei. An Indian or Fiji Indian. A kailoma or kaivalagi. A guji or a bombaya. A Veratan or a Tovatan. Kubuna or Burebasaga. RKS or QVS or SGS or MBHS etc etc. In the tribal games of Fiji, race, tribe, gang and confederacy matter so much more than anything else.
This government is from the past and governing like it’s the 1800s. I respect the itaukei traditions culture etc, but in a modern democratic society there shouldn’t be influences of provinces, tribes, clans, GCC so put that tabua down, Siti, and govern fairly for ALL.
If not you bunch of old men won’t last for long. Also you guys didn’t learn your lesson from Frank’s crew. If they got taken to court and eventually jail, you lot will be the same. We have gone from worse to pathetic and our hopes are not with you lot.
#realchange2026
People forget that the PM was a very clever guy. Just look at how he split the opposition and got the G9 on his side. He is a strategic thinker from his days as the army commander. Once the Constitution is changed all of Fiji’s problems will be solved.
The unelected village idiots in the GCC and the unelected general secretary of SODELPA will have all the say in who will be in positions of power and how the iTaukei will be represented. There will be a balance amongst the confederacies etc. As for the The Indians, well they are very well represented by Baimaan so they should not complain.
As for water in the taps, hospital supples, roads and schools, Australia and China are lining up to fix these. The revenue from the increased VAT and taxes will go to pay for the travel and allowances of the pollies not to mention their fat salaries.
My take is that the vast majority of the people support the country going towards Zimbabwe if that is what it takes to keep the vulagi at bay.
The country’s recovery is going to be led by export of bananas, yaqona , medicinal marijuana, traditional medicines, dalo and cassava. Because, as we all know, all things iTaukei are the best. The world should learn from the iTaukei. ITaukei know more about Christianity than anyone else. Except recently they have come to the realisation that they are closer to being Israelites.
I think Fijians are special people, they all suffer from racism. You are what you eat.
In Fiji, it is essential that village idiots from all confederacies and provinces are represented. That way there will be a balance just as we have now.
What do schools like RKS, QVS, and other boys and girls school breed?
Leaders called Coup Leaders.
Nothing less.
Racist, twisted, bigoted minds.
They brainwash these young minds in thinking they are the supreme race.
I would never send my child to any of these mostly dominant i-taukei schools that have a history of violence and breeding violent leaders.
To be fair, Frank went to Marist Brothers. But I take your point.
Fiji’s first multiracial and multifaith school, MBHS, is now an iTaukei Catholic school.
Over the years by way of deliberate attrition MBHS has fallen to “evangelical” ethno-nationalist policies…race and religion and rugby seem to be the criteria for admission to a once proud institution.
No different from QVS and RKS now!!
>race and religion and rugby seem to be the criteria for admission to a once proud institution.
No different from QVS and RKS<
Same same totavata Suva Grammar. So very sad.
USP Sociologist, the late Dr Simione Durutalo, coined in the early 80s the 5 Rs of Taukeism: Royalism, Ratuism, Religion, Rugby and Racism. Controversial during Ratu Mara’s time but proven correct from 1987 onwards.
Bukuya, man! Must be linked to Janet.
As you said, Graham.
Rabuka is a chronic repeat offender who has a history of non-stop apologising.
He makes the Fijian custom and people look cheap. They have water thinned their own customs and protocols because of aholes like Rabuka.
But this is what the indigenous want. They fail their own people.
Graham – I think Cheeriann Wilson whatever her name is worse than Jyoti Pratibha from Fiji Sun.
The level of journalism in Fiji has hit rock bottom. People like Lice , Stanley , Vijay etc are brown nosing the govt.
Tribalism, provincialism, racism is now coming out from Fiji’s Pandoras box. Every day there is news on the itaukeis. Ratu Epenisa is now going to sue the army and police for wrongful arrest. Someone mentioned Tudravu was responsible.
Then one PS sent a circular to all schools that a day be assigned to prayer and fasting for God’s guidance etc. Fasting to be half a day and optional. Police too are seeking prayers etc.
Then itaukeis wanting the President to step down and names of other chiefs being bandied about. Why can’t the president be from another race. So much hate amongst themselves, forget about the vulagis. Drugs, thugs, violence, poverty and filth everywhere. I just hope we don’t have civil disobedience in future.
How many indigenous Fijians are there in the world? Very few yet they act so entitled. They like to migrate and explore the world but stay racists as. Why? Because they have only grown up in racist homes. You see them abroad. Same behaviour. They sit in a room filled with other foreigners and they freeze because they are so fixed on their importance as unique dickheads. You see this everywhere. Their hatred of Fiji Indians and other Asians is so visible too.
They migrate abroad and want a citizenship with a label of being Australian, Canadian, British, etc. but back at home they don’t want people like the Fiji Indians and others to be called Fijians. The word Fijian though is not even an indigenous word. Herein lies their self serving mentality.
Sort your minds out indigenous peoples of Fiji.
You are a minority. Start being civilised if you want to survive the multicultural world. No one gives a rats arse about Fijians as happy people anymore. No one buys that tourism slogan anymore too. Everyone knows how racists you all can be and this affects your chances of employment overseas.
If you want drugs look at Naboro landfill. I have witnessed tens of thousands of dollars of drugs being thrown away by the Ministry of Health every year. Just dig into the landfill or better yet look at the ministries accounts to see how much they have paid for disposal.
Medicines are vulagi things and not suitable for Fijians. Traditional medicines are more appropriate for Fijians. They are the best.
So I not understand why people are complaining about no basic medicines in hospitals.
Essentially, we do not really need hospitals. There is faith and traditional medicine.
I am not kidding. Just ask them.
Why else do you think the Education Ministry wants students to pray and fast. God will fix everything. Have some faith people.
As for the roads, schools and economy, housing and cost of living – people are just not praying and fasting hard enough. It is the same when they lose a rugby match – the players and the fans just did not pray hard enough. The Christian God is unforgiving.
Sadly I don’t think there are enough itaukei (there are certainly some wise and intelligent gentleman who understand) that appreciate the difference between keeping cultural traditions alive, and keeping tribal politics alive.
One moves Fiji into the future technologically, globally and economically, whilst the other is about the sharing cultural traditions and knowledge with future generations (local and tourists alike).
Rabuka and his followers mix these two concepts up and mash it with their self-interest with the end product being racist, corrupt murky thinking that can’t think critically and objectively.
“Mr Batiwale is a senior lawyer with a current practicing certificate in Australia.
He specialises in commercial law, cyber law, and digital asset protection with an experience of seven years, according to the ministry’s Facebook post on the appointment of Mr Batiwale.” Fiji Sun.
Load of BS. When did someone like Batiwale become a senior lawyer? What experience has he really got when he is jumping from one firm to another. One will also see that his past employers have pulled their posts down about him. His last employment seems to be his own business that he just opened in Australia and is now non-operating. So what makes him senior? His fake self profiling? Interesting that he is not a registered practitioner in NZ given he lived and NZ for more year. Interesting that he is Tabuya’s nephew. He was Lynda and Rabuka’s sideman when they were busy doing their political rounds in NZ. Nepotism thrives in Fiji. Here we have Batiwale in a top role paid by the taxpayers. I would demand credibility to his portfolio with a serious check on cyber safety laws and practice to back his claims. How come Fijians abroad don’t talk about his credibility with mana?
I would say some good journalism will throw some light to this. Not expected of Wilson to do that though.
Total headful of tatti this falla in the photo and Fiji heading towards annihilation.
It is comical when Cheerilyen Wilson tries to portray a rabid racist as some saint. The reality is that this conman is not half the man that Bainimarama is!
Whilst Bainimarama’s downfall was totally due to Khaiyum (and not himself), this conman came into power by default on the back of lies and deceit. He was a zero, a no body, a bankrupt who despite being a PM before had squandered all this wealth and was collecting bottles.
Everyone can very well see through the desperate and futile efforts of people like the Wilsons to portray this despicable man as some saint or wise old man. What a stupid lot. Shame on the otherwise reasonable Fred Wesley for allowing this.
I cannot understand why the unremarkable Cheerieann Wilson is singled out when her boss is another mediocre journalist in Margaret Wise! Margaret Wise had to fight PM Rabuka in court with maintenance for the son they had during their illicit romp; skirt journalism has always been rampant.
The frustrations should be directed at Fred Wesley and Margaret Wise, the head honchos at the Fiji Times. Margaret Wise happens to be the niece of the president’s wife and the former disgraced permanent secretary to Rabuka, Peter Wise. The president fought to have his evil brother-in-law as his PA but failed. Keeping it all in this shameless extended family, all nice and cosy.