SHINE A LIGHT
▶ TIKTOK ADDS FUEL TO NABUA BRAWL
The brawl videos posted online had hate comments and vulgar language that fuelled more tension between the two factions.
There were also allegations that the brawl started because of an illegal drug dealing that had gone wrong.
This speculation was dismissed by chief operations officer Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Abdul Khan, saying Police were still investigating the case.
However, residents maintain that illegal drug dealings in the two hot spots, Mead Road and Sukanaivalu Road, are the root cause of the brawls and crime.
The majority of the residents however were not forthcoming with information because of fear of victimisation, a Police source said. This week, Police were deployed to the area to ascertain the cause of the brawls.
Near the Public Rental Board (PRB) housing along Mead Road is the Police Special Response Unit. Sukanaivalu Road is at least 100 metres downhill past the junction leading to the main entrance of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces Queen Elizabeth Barracks.
Police action follows two clashes between youths from the two areas within a span of 10 days.
The first incident took place over the Easter weekend (Friday night and Saturday), and the second on Tuesday this week. To some extent, adults were also involved themselves.
The mob who had attacked youths from Mead Road were armed with knives, bottles, baseball bats and stones. This left many residents living within the vicinity fearing for their lives.
Iliesa Bulinaivalu, a tenant at the PRB flats in Mead Road said there were a series of fights over the past month involving young teenagers. “At first it was a secondary school boy from here who was also assaulted from Sukanaivalu Road,” he said.
“Then it was the same case with another two young boys, and then the recent one involving the girl and the boy, which led to the brawl over the Easter weekend.”
While the cause of the problem remains hazy, residents know Nabua is home to a well-known drug peddler. He is alleged to be the main instigator of the violence.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Sekove Serukalou said comments and videos taken by young teenagers had aggravated the tension between youths of the two settlements. Mr Serukalou is a former resident of Nabua Koro along Sukanaivalu Road (Nabua Koro is a settlement close to Kings Roads). He was one of the influential figures in Nabua Koro, who was involved in the brawls.
“The two fights are connected. What happened on Monday is the result of the internet, but what’s happened is done on Monday,” he said.
“On Monday, with the tension still there, and people commenting on social media, they (Mead Road youths) decided to come again and use the grounds here to train.”
This brawl resulted in the arrest of 18 youths from Nabua Koro. The youngest was 17 years old and the oldest 27 years old.
They were released on Wednesday by ACP Khan.
THE EASTER WEEKEND BRAWL
The first brawl began with two young teenagers.
A boy and girl from Mead Road had gone to Sukanaivalu Rd, where they were allegedly assaulted by young teenagers from the area and their phones taken from them. On Friday night, youths from Mead Rd, some of whom were related to the girl, had gone to beat up the group from Sukanaivalu Rd. The violence continued the next day. Youths from Mead Rd had gone to train at the ground in Sukanaivalu Road when intoxicated youths from Nabua had attacked them. Mr Serukalou said the well-known drug peddler had stabbed his cousin’s hand with a knife.
“He brought his associates and attacked us, which resulted in one of our cousins getting injured, and that was when we retaliated.
“For us gang, my cousin had always committed to helping our league team, that’s why we retaliated.”
RELATIONSHIPS
Mr Serukalou and the alleged instigator were good friends.
“This is not the first time that he has done this. The first time was when he had hit a boy with his car a few years ago,” Mr Serukalou said. “For us here, when we fight, we fight, after that it’s over. For him, this is the second time he’s done this. If we won’t stop him, then he will keep doing it, if not here, then in another area.”
Mr Serukalou said the alleged instigator was known to be someone who would do whatever he wanted. “We were good friends before because we were from the Nabua neighbourhood, but after what he’s done, no more. What he’s done is
Members of the Police Special Response Unit make their presence known at Mead Rd, Nabua, after a second brawl erupted between youths from Topline and Nabua on April 12, 2021.
not the way of life of the iTaukei people, it’s disrespectful.
“What he’s done has also affected the elders in our settlement.”
ABOUT NABUA
Nabua was always known as a tough neighbourhood.
An elder of Nabua Koro, Saimoni Raikuna, said he had lived in Nabua for more than 70 years, and this was his first experience of such incident. Mr Raikuna said it was normal for people in Nabua to fight, but there was never any use of knives, sticks, stones and bottles. “Before, there would be more than one fighting incident in Nabua, but when it’s done, it’s done,” he said. Majority of those living at the PRB flats in Mead Road once resided in Nabua Koro.
Mr Bulinaivalu has lived in Mead Road for close to 20 years now. He said never had he seen such a scene. “Most of the people living here and in Nabua Koro know each other. We know each other by name,” he said.
“It’s the young ones who have been wounded; the elders have already tried to make peace between the two factions.”
Nabua is also known to breed professional rugby players, some who have gone on to play in the international circuit. Waisale Serevi played for the Nabua Rugby club during his early days.
Nabua also has a league team Broncos and a rugby union team Maroons.
“Our league team has members
from both areas, because we are one, our elders here are the ones who had relocated there,” Mr Bulinaivalu said.
WAY FORWARD
The tension has since normalised, with youths from Mead Road now using the Sukanaivalu Road grounds for training.
Mr Serukalou said they didn’t want to fight anymore. He said they were ready to accept the youths of Mead Road.
“If they plan to come down and ask for forgiveness, we will accept them, because that’s the true Fijian way of life,” he said.
“It’s the generation these days who are causing the problem, because they are aware of their rights, and have access to what they want, such as the internet and money.” Mr Bulinaivalu said youths needed to be encouraged daily with the word of God, because it would slowly change their lives.
Mr Raikuna insisted that the onus was now on Police to dig deep into the problem and solve it.
“There is more to this problem,” he said.
While ACP Khan has brokered a ceasefire, a lot still has to be done. If these problems are not addressed now, with the root cause identified and eradicated, the problems will escalate.
It’s up to the Police, community leaders, parents and guardians to find an amicable solution.
Perhaps, sports, more awareness programmes, and creating a platform for youths to interact and engage constructively, such as that carried out by the Laymens Vesida group in the Vesida Housing community.
Whatever it is, a collective approach is vital. There is power in community.