WOMAN VUNIVALU?

Are you ready for the first woman Vunivalu of Bau?

That could happen if a woman, who claims she is a direct descendant of the first title holder, has her way. She tells BTL that he has the right credentials to hold the title.

And when the chiefly clan sits down to decide the heir to the vacant title, she will stake her claim.

When told that only males had held the title, she says it was because of tribal wars. Today, she adds, there is no tribal war because we live in peace. The environment is right for a woman to be installed as chief.

MESSY CHIEFLY TITLE ROW

Some chiefly title rows are pretty messy like this one in a Northern Division village. Two years ago a chief was installed, but he was not recognised by a group in the village and the iTaukei Land and Fisheries Commission (TLFC) (Tabana ni Veitarogi Vanua ni Tabacakacaka iTaukei). The person installed is from another village and he is claiming the title from his mother’s side. BTL has been reliably informed that in his village he doesn’t belong to the chiefly clan but to the sub chiefly clan (sauturaga). He cannot be installed as a chief.