Tongan community

The meeting attended by the immigration minister, six Pacific MPs and community leaders was sparked by revelations of a case last week where a Pasifika overstayer was detained after a dawn raid. His lawyer said police showed up at his home just after 5am, scaring his children and taking him into custody.

Huge crowds gathered at the community event at the Otahuhu Rovers Rugby League Stadium to watch the Men and Women's Kiwis and Tonga teams take the stage ahead of their test games on Saturday.

Both the men's and women's teams made a joint public appearance before the crowds.

The passionate crowds predominately made up of Tongan fans, sang church hymns and waved flags.

Mate Ma'a Tonga Captain Sio Siua Taukeiaho said the event is a welcome relief for many Tongans traumatised by January's volcanic eruption that devastated Tonga.

"A fono is needed to address the problem of Tongan youth getting involved with gangs," Secretary of the Aotearoa Tongan Health Workers Association, Pakilau Manase Lua said.

He said the community is also concerned that next week's rugby league international between the Kiwis and Mate Ma'a Tonga will be marred by violence between gang members.

The Tongan groups are calling for an end to gang violence ahead of the rugby league international.

The meeting will take place this Friday in Mangere.

Speaking during a zoom call hosted by the Pacific Media Network on Facebook the Princess said Tongans in Auckland has the Pasifika islands community highest percentage of people vaccinated against COVID-19 which was an equivalent of 3360 people. She did not say whether this was the number of Tongans who were fully vaccinated or not according to Kaniva News.

She said while 10,640 Tongans were awaiting their second dose 12,536 Tongans have yet to get their first shots.

The witness known as Ms CU spoke on behalf of her niece, who was 15-years-old at the time of the abuse.

She explained the Tongan society is very hierarchical, saying that ministers, priests and nuns elevate in both status and authority because of the godly factor.

"They are a representation of God on Earth," Ms CU said.

It was at Ms CU's family reunion that took place in New Zealand where the priest met her niece, who had travelled from Tonga for it.

Detective Senior Sergeant Karen Bright of Counties Manukau Police said Police have worked tirelessly since Fisi’ihoi was killed in her Favona home on 15 January 2020 to identify those allegedly involved and hold them to account.

Fisi'ihoi was watching TV in the sitting room when she got up to check a noise she heard outside.

The mother of seven was shot through a window near the front door about 2.45am.

Three men aged 19, 22 and 28 have been jointly charged with murder and are expected to appear in the Manukau District Court today.

Not wanting to be named, this mother joined the Golden Group Kiwiland Refund line twice, investing $1500 overall.

She made her first payment of $750 to ‘Alapasita Tu’ima a representative from the scheme, and was promised she would receive $3000 within ten days.​

"When I went to her house it was her and another guy Tom, they were going on and on about the scheme going good. 

"I went on a Monday and paid my fee, where​ she said to me, ten days from now, on the eleventh day I’ll get paid."

Members of the boy's family held a vigil and prayers at the site he was killed, leaving flowers to commemorate him.

They have repeatedly called for peace and forgiveness.

The teen's friend, Veni Atonio, led the group in a prayer.

"We have to have love," he said.

He described their friend, who they knew as Solo, as "a humble man".

ABC News reports the captain of the teenager's school, Poasa Telepe, urged the crowd not to seek revenge for Solo's death.

"These gangs need to stop. This fighting needs to stop," he said.

The meeting is scheduled to be held on Monday 16 November, when the Prime Minister is in New Zealand on his way back to Tonga after a meeting in Europe.

The event will be held at the hall of the United Church of Tonga Taufa’ahau Tupou IV, 2 Gray Avenue, Mangere East at 7 – 8.30 pm, a Tongan Church and Faith-based Leadership Network spokesperson told Kaniva News.

The Network said it wished to invite all members of the Tongan community to the meeting.  

It was an “important opportunity” for the community, it said.  

The team is playing under the banner of "Invitational XIII" after a court ruled the Tonga National Rugby League was the only authority able to operate the official national side, Mate Ma'a Tonga, following a long-running dispute between coach Kristian Woolf and the TNRL.

The dispute has cast uncertainty over whether supporters, dubbed 'the world's best fans', will be out in numbers this weekend.

Two years ago, you couldn't escape the sea of red. Tongan flags were sold-out in shops and fans were flooding the streets of Auckland.