Latest news with #FiameNaomiMata'afa
NZ Herald
04-08-2025
- Health
- NZ Herald
Dengue fever outbreak: Samoan family lose second son to mosquito-borne illness
The post has been widely shared among the Samoan community in the islands and overseas. Rising death toll: 5 The Asian tiger mosquito is one of the vectors responsible for transmitting dengue fever. Photo / Science Photo Library Samoa's dengue fever death toll now officially stands at four – with the fifth death being deemed a probable case of dengue fever at this stage, authorities say. All have been children. Samoan Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa yesterday spoke of the nation's heartbreak at losing yet another child to dengue. 'On behalf of the Government and the people of Samoa, I extend our deepest condolences to the parents and families of the children we have lost,' he said. 'Our children are dear to us, and the loss of a young soul is utterly sorrowful. May the Holy Spirit comfort parents and families of the children we have lost. We remember you in these sorrowful times.' Also known as break-bone fever, dengue fever is a viral infection that spreads from mosquitoes to people. Symptoms include sudden high fever, intensely sore joints and muscles, pain behind the eyes and a rash. Fumigation efforts have been carried out nationwide and schools have remained shut as a result of the outbreak. Samoa's health officials are ramping up fumigation efforts in the fight against dengue fever. As of Sunday, 5670 clinically diagnosed cases had been recorded since January, with just over 2600 of those identified as laboratory-confirmed cases. In the past week, 1446 new clinically diagnosed cases have been reported across Samoa's main islands of Upolu and Savai'i, including 342 new lab-confirmed cases. New Zealand health authorities have also reported a spike in dengue fever cases since the start of the year, with 34 confirmed incidents reported in Auckland last month in people coming back into the country. About half of those cases were acquired in Samoa, said National Public Health Service national clinical director Dr Susan Jack. The latest figures show 103 cases of dengue fever recorded in Auckland since January. That figure is double the number of cases recorded for all of last year when 54 cases were recorded. Fiame also called on parents and families to follow the official advice of health authorities and not to resort to traditional healing practices for dengue fever. 'For parents and guardians, please seek immediate medical assistance if your child develops dengue fever symptoms. 'Do not wait until it is too late. Early treatment can save lives.' Vaimoana Mase is the Pasifika editor for the Herald's Talanoa section, sharing stories from the Pacific community. She won junior reporter of the year at the then Qantas Media Awards in 2010 and won the best opinion writing award at the 2023 Voyager Media Awards.
RNZ News
30-07-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Challenges issued ahead of Samoa general election
Ballot boxes for Samoa general election Photo: RNZ Pacific/Tipi Autagavaia With just weeks to go until Samoa heads to the polls, election preparations are in full swing. The country is going to an early election after parliament was dissolved in June . After months of political instability and two motions of no confidence, Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa said she would call for the dissolution of parliament if Cabinet did not support her government's budget. Electoral commissioner Toleafoa Tuiafelolo Alexander Stanley spoke to RNZ Pacific about the election process. He said there are two levels to the objection and challenge process. When the window for objections closed, there was one voter objection from Falealupo, a village in Savai'i, and 11 candidate objections, he said. "The objections focus really on the monotaga, the eligibility criteria for monotaga," Toleafoa said. "Under the law, you have to do your monotaga every three years." The Samoa Observer later reported two candidate challenges had been withdrawn, leaving nine to go to court. Under the Electoral Act 2019, a person who wishes to contest an election has to be "a holder of a registered matai title for a consecutive three years ending on lodgement day for the Constituency the person intends to represent; and has rendered a monotaga in respect of the registered matai title within a village in a constituency which the person intends to run as a candidate; and for a consecutive three year ending on the lodgement day". They also must be a Samoa citizen, a registered voter of a constituency, and have resided in the country for at least three years in a row ending on lodgement day. Toleafoa said all the statutory declarations are completed in front of their lawyers before it comes to the Office of the Electoral Commission. "Our job is just to check if all the boxes have been ticked and filled in correctly, and that's where we approve the person to be eligible to be contesting election," he said. "But then again, that's the process that goes through the court, and their lawyers will also represent each candidate, as well as the matais who signed it, and that will be determined by the court if it's legitimate." Decisions on the objections taken to court must be issued on or before 15 August. Once the election is over and the results are announced, challenges can be presented in the form of election petitions. Petitions must be filed within 10 working days after results are declared. Toleafoa said the Commission is prepared. "There will be challenges after the election as well, but we are all prepared for that. "But we just hope that our election will be smooth for the general elections, and... hopefully there won't be as many petitions after that as well." Toleafoa confirmed 190 candidates will contest the upcoming general election, slightly up from the 187 who ran in 2021. Of those confirmed, 24 are women, including caretaker Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, who is seeking re-election in her Lotofaga constituency. The highest number of candidates in any one constituency is six, while the lowest is two. All three current parliamentary party leaders - Fiame, La'auli Leuatea Schmidt, and Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi - will stand again. Fiame is contesting under the Samoa Uniting Party (SUP), a newly formed political group that emerged following a factional split from the FAST party. La'auli now leads FAST, while Tuilaepa remains as the leader of Samoa's longest-serving political party, HRPP. The campaign period runs until 24 August.
1News
06-07-2025
- Politics
- 1News
Samoan government says sunken Manawanui wreck will stay where it is
Samoa's Prime Minister says the wreck of the HMNZS Manawauni vessel can stay exactly where it sank after being presented with options regarding the vessel's future. The Royal New Zealand Navy ship ran aground with 75 people on board whilst conducting a hydrographic survey of a reef last October. All those on board managed to be rescued safely. The ship has remained off the coast near Upolu, Samoa since then. Containers and fuel aboard the ship were recovered, but the vessel was not removed. Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa told 1News her cabinet were presented with a list of options regarding the wreck. (Source: 1News) Now, after the Samoan government were presented with a list of options regarding the wreck, it has been decided the vessel safe enough to leave where it is. ADVERTISEMENT "Sometimes events just take over... Nature has taken over and it's become, you know, it's already been incorporated into the reef so to speak," said Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa. Samoa's Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa. (Source: 1News) "I mean all the toxic elements have been removed. So it's become an additional part, I suppose, of the reef," she told 1News. 'There's no accountability' - locals Samoan locals from the village of Tafitoala claim they are still living with the consequences of the ship's sinking and say they want the wreck to be taken away. "There's no accountability for what's going on. No compensation, but we lost a lot of things from here," said Tafitoala resident Faga'ilesau Afaaso Saleupu. Tafitoala resident Faga'ilesau Afaaso Saleupu. (Source: 1News) ADVERTISEMENT Local authorities have maintained a 'no-go zone' around the site of the wreck, making it in inaccessible for fishing. "Eighty percent of our people rely on the sea for food. Where are the fishermen going to go now? "We acknowledge what you did by removing the oil and some of the pollutants materials from the wreck, but the wreck is still there-that's not clean," Faga'ilesau said. Village high chief Tuia Pu'a Leota said the boat has "damaged" the village's shores. "Our shores have been damaged, the coral reef has been damaged, the mangroves have been damaged. "All of these damages need to be considered and need to be taken back to their natural status." he said. Tuia, who is standing as a candidate in the country's general elections next month, said he will be "fighting very hard to ensure our district will get a fair compensation." Despite fierce opposition from locals, the Samoan government disagreed - and said they were happy with the cleanup that had been done. New Zealand Defence said they are still completing technical and environmental analysis of the wreck and surrounding area to inform future decisions of both governments.
RNZ News
05-06-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
No extended time for Samoa election prep, court rules
The first day of the first sitting of Samoa's parliament for 2025 Photo: Parliament of Samoa Samoa's Supreme Court has ruled against extra time for the Electoral Commission to complete the electoral rolls ahead of an early election. It follows the formal dissolution of its parliament on 3 June in the wake of several months of political uncertainty. Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa had said she would call for the dissolution of parliament if Cabinet did not support her government's budget. MPs from both the opposition Human Rights Protection Party and Fiame's former FAST party joined forces to defeat the budget with the final vote coming in 34 against, 16 in support and 2 abstentions. Samoa's Electoral Commissioner said his office has filed an affidavit to the Supreme Court, seeking legal direction and an extra six weeks to complete the electoral roll ahead of an early election. But the court has ruled there will be no extension. More to come.
ABC News
30-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Samoa's first woman prime minister loses power
On the program today: The people of Samoa are heading for an early election, after Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa called for the dissolution of parliament. Drama in Fiji as the head of the country's anti-corruption commission, Barbara Malimali is suspended and her deputy sacked as police investigate her appointment. Tonga's King Tupou VI has called for improvements to the country's democratic system. A new parliamentary committee has been set up in Papua New Guinea to protect children who make up 43 per cent of the nation's population. Farmers in PNG are cashing in and spending big as prices for two of the country's main agricultural exports, coffee and cocoa, hit record highs. The minister for women and youth in Kiribati, Ruth Cross Kwansing, says the nation is facing a kava crisis with imports at record levels. Successful applicants of the Pacific Engagement Visa, have started to settle into their new lives in Australia.
