The much-awaited Banana Valley Market opened to vendors yesterday, with the official handover soon.
Betel nut vendors mostly women raced to the market to set up stalls and also occupy space on the tables.
Manager of Gizo Market, Moffat Maeta said the new market can accommodate up to 100 vendors.
He explained that there are two tables with a total of 30 spaces, 15 spaces on each table and also tables outside of the building.
Gizo Market Manager Moffat Maeta speaking during the opening of the market
“For now, betel vendors can use the two tables while others who have their own table can use their own.
“This allocation is temporary, we are looking at proper arrangement of the market so that spaces for vegetables, cooked foods and fish market are allocated.
“For now, we give the opportunity for betel nut vendors and also vendors who want to sell cooked food.
First vendor who sold cooked food yesterday (1)
“In the long run this market will sell everything – cooked and uncooked foods, vegetables and betel nut,” Maeta said.
He said there will be a requirement for fish sellers who want to sell their fish at Banana Valley Market.
“If you sell fish, you must make sure to use cooler, there will be no display of fish here. Reason is due to water issue.
“You must also clean the stomach of the fish before transporting the products for sell at Banana Market.”
He said market fees are similar to Gizo’s main market.
Maeta said chewing of betel nut and smoking is prohibited within the market – meaning customers can chew betel nut and smoke outside of the market to keep the area clean and healthy.
CAUSE Project Officer, Abednego tries out the water supply at the market’s toilet room
He told vendors that no tables are allowed outside of the market – meaning spaces at the front market must be cleared all the time for vehicles to park.
Maeta adds that Gizo market admin will not be responsible for vendors selling outside the market.
He said the market will open 24/7 to give more time for vendors to sell their products, but there will be a time the market will close for cleanup and also when there is a special provincial event.
Betel Nut vendors setting up their products at Banana Valley Market
“We are thankful that the province has support this project. We also acknowledge CAUSE Project for funding and constructing the market facilities,”
“I want you to take ownership of the facilities while making use of the opportunity to help your families during this challenging time,” Maeta said.
High Court has put the spotlight on lawyers of the Public Solicitors Office for not attending court sessions.
And, worse, Judge Maelyn Bird says this trend of public solicitors not attending their court cases is becoming frequent.
Judge Bird raised the concern in court yesterday when two public solicitors failed to attend and assist the court regarding cases they represent.
“I cannot entertain lawyers who are not complying with court directions, it is becoming a trend in the Public Solicitors Office and I just don’t know why this happens and becoming worse.
“Such practice has not improved, lawyers not attending court and to their clients, it’s not fair on the defendants,” Ms Bird said.
She said she will talk with the Registrar to inform the Office about the issue.
During the opening of the legal year 2021, Chief Justice Sir Albert Palmer had highlighted “those ongoing delays are an affront to the rights of an accused to have his case heard within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial court”.
He said victims and the community are entitled to know that complaints will be attended to in good time and justice dispensed promptly.
“Such delays are incompatible with a society founded on the rule of law and on embedded constitutional rights.
“There is no short cut to the issue of delay and hearing of cases, the Court and Counsel in the DPP’s office and the PSO should rise to the challenge and ensure that cases involving those in remand are given priority for hearing,” he said.
Police are reminding public residing within the Emergency Zone from Poha to Aligetor Bridge to report any form of domestic violence during the 36-hour lockdown from August 29-31, 2021.
Police Commissioner Mostyn Mangau says, “If you are experiencing domestic violence during the lockdown and fearful for your safety, it is important that you seek help. If you are unable to call, please seek assistance from police or emergency patrols or go to your nearest police checkpoints and ask for help.
“Domestic violence and gender-based violence are everyone’s responsibility, especially during this challenging time when we need to work together as a community to support each other.
“It is important to call your family, friends and neighbours, and check if they are okay during the lockdown. Make sure to check on people you know who might be more vulnerable, including people with disabilities. If you hear anything that makes you concerned that someone is experiencing violence please seek help.
“Think about where you will stay during the lockdown. Make sure you have phone credit to make a call. Please call the police on phone 23666 or free toll 999. You can call the SAFENET 132 hotline, family support centre on 20619 or you can seek help from a police or emergency patrol. Let us work together with the government through the Ministry of Health to fight against Covid-19.”
A group from a village in Shortland Islands ransacked a logging company removing some valuable company properties onAugust 23, 2021.
Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Western Province, Chief Superintendent Mathias Lenialu said the landowners acted because they were not happy with the licensee of the company.
Lenialu said the landowners claim that the logging company operated beyond demarcated boundaries or simply trespassing.
He said police are investigating the matter. If police are satisfied with the investigation, then arrest and laying of charges will happen soon.
Lenialu said, “I would like to make it very clear here that police respond to such matters because it is a crime. Any disappointment there is a proper way of doing it. Such actions taken by the villagers in this particular case is already a criminal act and police will not tolerate it.
“I appeal to parties involved in this matter to refrain from taking the laws into your own hands and allow police to deal with the issue. Good if those valuable properties belonging to the company be returned.
“Those who have information please assist police officers at Kulitanai Police Station. Kulitanai can be contacted on phone 44127 or call the police free toll line on phone 999,” says Lenialu.
A sexual offence case is stalling before the High Court because the complainant is nowhere to be found.
Both prosecution and the police’s sexual assault unit cannot reach her.
And, because of this, prosecution cannot respond to proposals from defence regarding the particulars of the charge against the accused.
The incident occurred in 2018 in Isabel province, where the accused allegedly had sexual intercourse with the victim.
Appearing on instructions from the prosecutor in carriage, Public Prosecutor Elma Hilly said they had contacted Buala Police to locate the complainant but was unsuccessful as the complainant was not at her home village.
Buala police said the complainant is currently in Honiara and the sexual assault unit in Honiara made attempts to locate the whereabout of the complainant, but unsuccessful, Hilly said.
She said prosecution will maintain the charge until such a time the prosecutor in carriage is able to speak to the complainant.
Meanwhile since the matter is a long-time matter, court has set a trial date for next year, April 25 2022.
High Court judge Justice Maelyn Bird said since there will be seven witnesses called as stated in the pre-trial documents, five days’ trial will be sufficient.
Therefore, the case was adjourned to October 5 for interim mention and the prosecution to update the court on their determination regarding the Defence proposal.
Daniel Kwalai of the Public Solicitor’s Office represents the accused.
Court has sent a 27-year-old man guilty of robbery to four years in jail.
Eric Nathaniel Jnr of Malaita province robbed the FJ Shop on December 7, 2018, in Honiara.
In passing sentence, High Court Judge Maelyn Bird yesterday highlighted that Nathaniel Jnr is married with one child and looks after an elderly parent.
However, Ms Bird said, “Resorting to crime in order to care for and maintain your young family is not acceptable and at the age of 27 years you are capable of making ends meet, you must show responsible and respectable way of life for your children.
“The maximum penalty of robbery is life imprisonment but the court has the power to impose sentences depending on the nature of a case.”
She also noted that there are several aggravating features in the offending, that it was premeditated and the accused was prepared well for the robbery.
CCTV footage showed the robbery was conducted with violence and showed how Nathaniel Jnr attacked the complainant with a bush knife.
“You struck the complainant with the knife when he tried to restrain you as a result the complainant sustain injury, the offending was carried out against a business house, the business provided Solomon Islanders employment as shop keepers.
“The business also pays tax to the government and thereby contributed to the country’s economy, and that offending has an adverse effect in the international community and to potential investors, they will see Solomon Islands as unsafe to invest in, what you have done would portray a very bad picture of the country to the international community.”
Therefore, considering the mitigation and sentencing submission from lawyers the court imposed four years in jail and the period spent in custody to be deducted from the four years.
Andrew Kelesi of the Office of the Director Public Prosecution appears for the crown while Rodney Manebosa of the Public Solicitor’s Office represents the accused.
Dr Brian Jones, British High Commissioner, taking his oath as the Solomon Islands Scout Association's International Commissioner.
The Solomon Islands Scout Association (SISA) has commissioned Dr Brian Jones, British High Commissioner, as its International Commissioner.
The appointment, effective last week, made Jones as the first international commissioner for SI Scout as it prepares to be independent from United Kingdom Scouts at the end of this month.
Jones took his oath before the Chief Scout of Solomon Islands Scout Association, Sir David Vunagi at the Government House.
Chief Commissioner Joe Billy Oge said the inclusion of Jones in SISA is very important and they look forward to working with him in the future.
Jones has been instrumental in helping the Scouts here grow during his time as the high commissioner especially in facilitating meetings and strengthening link with UK Scouts. Solomon Islands is part of the UK Scout.
Also commissioned was Pr Charles Tena, who is now the Scout Chaplain.
Meanwhile, SISA is thankful for the support by Our Telekom that assisted the association to participate in the World Scout Conference via zoom, which started last week and continues this week.
Our Telekom is supporting Scouts with a WTTX -4G LTE router to participate in the conference with three Mobile phones and top-ups for the devices.
The company’s Chief Commercial Officer Robertson Szetu delivered the equipment to Scouts in the presence of Sir David at the Government House.
Szetu stated the company’s pleasure in assisting Scouts and is looking forward to working with them in the future.
Meanwhile six young Scouts are currently taking part in the conference and the team of senior management will join them at the end of this week.
MINISTRY of Culture and Tourism has completed a report on a proposed tourism site belonging to Fotana tribe in East Fataleka, Malaita Province.
This was after it sent a team early this year to do scoping assessment on the land offered by Fotana tribe.
The 600-plus hectare land was bought by the Government for the Auluta Basin palm oil project.
However, the project could not get off ground due to some internal land issues.
Permanent Secretary, Andrew Nihopara said the Fotana tribe want to explore another opportunity as alternative for the Auluta basin project.
Nihopara said tourism is one of the alternatives which the group approached the ministry for consultation.
He said it is too early to speculate unless there is a business plan ready to negotiate for the Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC) grants.
Nihopara said the Government is still to sign the MCC grant as well.
However, he said the Fotana group has a Governance plan and structure in place for the proposed development.
Government Communication Unit reports the MCC Board of Directors at its quarterly meeting on December 15, 2020 approved a $SBD$185 million (US$23 million) Threshold Programme for Solomon Islands.
The Threshold Programme for Solomon Islands will cover two projects. The Forest Value Enhancement Project (FoVEP) and the Accessing Land for Tourism Investment Facilitation (ALTIF) project.
The FoVEP project is targeted at natural resource management particularly conserving forest ecosystems.
It will work through an economically viable community-based resource management program that aligns and takes into account the customary uses of forests resources and to leverage the direct results of alternative forest management as well as facilitate incremental improvements in the regulatory and institutional framework in the forestry sector.
The MCC is an innovative and independent US foreign assistance agency that is helping lead the fight against global poverty.
PS Nihopara acknowledged the Fotana group to come forward and offered their land for development.
He said this is the kind of partnership that should be encouraged for development in the country.
Island Sun understand the other part of the land is offered for the third International airport in the country.
Engineers of Ministry of Communication and Aviation and Ministry of Infrastructure Development are expected to visit the site to do a feasibility study in a date to be confirmed.
John Fadama florist and lead facilitator of the floral workshop
BY JENNIFER KUSAPA
ABOUT 20 participants are in a five-day floral and soap making training at the National Art Gallery.
Trainer John Fadama said such training improves one’s skills on how to do something one will benefit from.
Fadama said he has been conducting similar trainings in the past for women groups in floral arrangements, and is happy to see some women venturing into the floral business.
Fadama said floral and soap making is a skill one can learn.
Jean Akotee’
“I have those skills and I want to share to others that is why I am willing to train people.
“We must share the skills we have to others in that way we will satisfy that we train others too of what we know,” Fadama said
He said this is his first training this year for floral, landscaping and soap making.
Suzie and her cousin sister Sabela
Fadama said the training is more on practical than theory; and at the end of the training participants should be able to implement the skills they will learnt during the five days at their homes.
“From experience some women attended past trainings never did what they have learnt.
Three female participants
“If we have the passion, we will always love to learn new skills and willing to beautify our homes with flowers,” Fadama said.
Meanwhile one of the participants Jean Akotee said she is happy to participate in the training, “because this covid situation really affect people”.
Two male participants
“I want to do something to help my family, therefore when I knew about this training, I really wanted to join because I know I will learn some new skills from such trainings.
“Now I know how to make soap for dishwashing and in any event, I don’t have enough money I can make it by myself and use my dishwashing,” Akotee said.
Former journalist and Kava farmer, Lesley Sanga clearing land to plant Kava on Malaita.
From journalist to community developer
By BRIAN LEZUTUNI
A FEW years ago, Lesley Sanga was a familiar name typed out boldly on the pages of the Solomon Star newspaper.
For six years, the young-man from East Kwara’ae worked as a journalist in one of the daily newspapers in the country.
These days, Sanga, 33, is living his life as a game-changer, assisting youths to instil self-discipline and involving in a major kava revolution in the Aitolo Community on the hinterlands of Central Kwara’ae.
Kava as a commodity is grown fervently in these parts of Malaita Province. Farmers in the area, with little education, have been planting this lucrative crop for years.
And with their struggles, they have had ambitions to expand and meet the stringent quality control demands that come with the sale of kava.
Upon Sanga’s decision to settle down at his wife’s village, the farmers turned to him for assistance in furthering their kava ambitions.
In a span of two years, Sanga has gone from being an outsider in the community to helping to turn the wheels of development and community self-belief.
With his help the Aitolo Self-Reliance Association was formed.
Kava farmers from Aitolo who benefited from the Economic Stimulus Package with their tools.
The association consisted of community members involved in the kava trade.
Sanga was made secretary and in July 2020, he and other members of the association applied for the Economic Stimulus Package from the government.
In December 2020, the association received its first ever government assistance which was translated into much needed tools to expand on their existing kava base.
The Kava Association also agreed that all 30 members made up of men, women and youths will plant 200 kava bottoms each as contribution towards keeping the association going.
Sanga receiving drums of petrol to assist men in his community to dig a sporting field for them.
From then on, each individual is required to pay five percent from the sale of their product to the Association.
“We have managed to come up with a workable vision for the community after years of neglect from the government,’ Sanga said.
“Although our target fund sought was $30,000, we were grateful that the government had given us $12,000 that we use to purchase our tools,” he added.
The tools include knives, axes, grass-cutters, shovels and sharpening files.
Aitolo elder, Walter Ara who had been planting Kava since 2011 and had around 1,000 plants before receiving the assistance, said it was helpful that people like Sanga are around to assist them.
“We are all rural dwellers and my only source of cash revenue has been kava, other cash crops involve hard work and little money,” he added.
Upon seeing the impact made to lives of farmers in the area, Sanga this year stepped up a notch as he worked with the local community in establishing a village-based approach to help engage youths in the area.
He proudly explained that this approach came to be known as the ‘3P’: “It is Pray, Plant and Play!”
His team chose ‘Play’ as their starting point.
Aitolo is located on rugged mountainous terrain and having a soccer field is a huge challenge.
The field being dug up by members of the community.
So armed with his writing and persuasive skills, Sanga decided to write a letter to the provincial government for two drums of diesel and some funds to assist clear a field close to their community.
After receiving assistance, the owners of an excavator decided against making their machine available to dig up the field so the community decided to sell the drums of diesel and use that money to pay people to do the back-breaking job of digging up the field by hand.
With the community help, the field was completed. The men and boys became involved in sports and ‘kwaso’ drinking was a thing of the past.
Women of the community also came out to help their men in digging up a new field for their community
Planting kava came next, meaning two ‘Ps’ were achieved.
This year has seen the growth of community engagement in religious activity as people had things to do and prayer became part of their lives.
“The village cycle revolves around gardening which began at eight, then play at four in the afternoon and then prayer in the evening.
“We are seeing our youths and men engaged,” Sanga added.
Village elder, Matthew Maetarau said he has seen a big improvement in the behaviour of youths in his community.
“We had issues with drunk youths causing nuisance in our community, we are thankful that they are engaged in the 3P formula.
“Although it was only introduced (last year), it has had an impact on our community,” he added.
Sanga said he has no regrets leaving his job as a journalist.
“During my short time as journalist I have visited places such as Fiji, Vanuatu, Taiwan and Hong-Kong, which has opened my eyes and gave me the drive to push my people forward in development,” he said.
As Covid-19 has hindered any likely return to his passion as a journalist, he is grateful that his other ambition, agriculture is being pursued while he continues to live his life with his family up on the highlands of Malaita.
