Rawiriwiri has no right to talk about land in Kalabu, says concerned landowner
She may be married to the family of chiefs, but that does not make her a landowner, he adds.
Alandowner of the mataqali Mata ni Korovatu is concerned about how the wife of the Tui Kalabu, Litia Rawiriwiri, allegedly threatened a group of Indo-Fijian women living at an informal settlement in Nadera.
In yesterday’s Fiji Sun front page report, Mrs Rawiriwiri, whom the worried Indo-Fijian women referred to as the ‘landlord’/ rani (queen), allegedly threatened to evict them if they did not vote for SODELPA in the 2018 General Election.
She made a number of threats the women alleged.
She is the national president of the SODELPA Women’s Wing and says she was involved in its predecessor, the Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua (SDL). She denied the allegations by the women.
The concerned iTaukei landowner who wished to remain anonymous because of family relationships said the real landowners of the informal settlement, Kuluvota Moala, in Nadera were those from his mataqali (Mata ni Korovatu) under the leadership of the Tui Kalabu.
“Litia Rawiriwiri is not a landowner but she is the wife of Tui Kalabu, Ratu Paula Rawiriwiri,” the landowner said.
“She may be the wife of the Ratu, she may be married into the family of chiefs, but that doesn’t make her a landowner. “Mrs Rawiwiri is from Noco in Rewa. She knows nothing about Kalabu. In the vola ni kawa bula (VKB) she is not registered in our mataqali.”
The landowner also said that Mrs Rawiriwiri had no right to talk about their land in Kalabu and ruin the relationship of the landowners and the Indo-Fijian community there.
The Fiji Sun also visited the Tui Kalabu’s home yesterday, but was stopped by Mrs Rawiriwiri. She whispered that he did not want to talk to the journalists because of the report.
Earlier efforts to get comments from Ratu Paula were also not possible as Mrs Rawiriwiri said that he was resting.
A number of Indo-Fijian women living in the informal settlement claimed they felt threatened by Mrs Rawiriwiri at a meeting she called and she discussed voting in the election.
But Mrs Rawiriwiri said yesterday that all allegations were false; she was from Noco in Rewa and that the people from Noco loved Indo-Fijians, the Girmityas. She denied threatening the IndoFijian women, but admitted that she was trying to form a SODELPA women’s group in Nadera that would include the Indo-Fijian community.
Yesterday, in a low voice she confirmed that she was a SODELPA supporter and her husband, the Tui Kalabu, was a FijiFirst supporter.
When asked on who the true landowners of Nadera are Mrs Rawiriwiri confirmed that the mataqali Mata ni Korovatu were the landowners. Her husband, the Tui Kalabu, is the head of the tribe.
“He is very annoyed about what’s been printed. The problem is he is a FijiFirst person and I am SODELPA. He is the boss of this house, whatever he wants to do and say I should accept it,” she said.
Mrs Rawiriwiri continually reminded the journalists to speak very low for Ratu Paula not to hear their conversation.
Efforts to get comments from the iTaukei Lands Commission before this edition went to press were unsuccessful.