Parents Demand Justice

The parents of a man in his 20s, who is believed to be the country’s latest road fatality victim, are demanding justice.

Kalabu residents Petero Toutou Tanu and Violet Jane Tanu want Police to bring the driver to face justice.

Their son Kafoa Kamoe Tanu, 24, was hit by a vehicle allegedly driv­en by a man in his 40s on Thursday night at Khalsa Road in Nasinu.

Kafoa Tanu is the second oldest of four siblings. He hails from Juju Village in Rotuma with maternal links to Malhaha Village.

I Wish This Was All A Bad Dream, Says Father

An emotional Mr Tanu said: “We want justice for our son who has been taken away from us so sud­denly. We will let the law take its own course."

“We never thought that we would lose him like this. I wish this was all a bad dream and that when I wake up, he would be here at home.

“My son was the breadwinner of the family and it is really hard for our family to accept that he is no more. We celebrated Father’s Day together last week and he was the one that helped my wife cook lunch."

“My son was a kind and hardwork­ing man and was always cleaning or cooking to help my wife. He was so close to my wife."

“I try not to show how sad and hurt I am. I put this brave face in front of my siblings, but it’s hard when I miss my son so much.”

Mother in Tears

Ms Tanu shed tears while describ­ing her son.

“If only I knew that Thursday morning would be the last time I would speak to my son, I would have talked to him a little longer and hugged him a little tighter. My son was close to me and always helped me with chores,” Ms Tanu said.

“He was someone I could depend on. He loved cooking and now I will be cooking alone. I miss my son. No parent would ever want to be bury­ing their children and this is why I wish that this is all a dream.”

Mum in tears... Violet Jane Tanu on September 11, 2022, weeps for her late son, Kafoa Kamoe Tanu, who was killed in an alleged hit-and-run incident in Nasinu last Thursday. Photo: Jone Salusalu

Police Investigations

Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro said: “The victim was walking along Khalsa Road when he was hit by a vehicle driven by a man in his 40s on Thursday night.

“The driver allegedly fled the scene and was arrested near the Dokanaisuva Community Post. The victim was later identified by his family. The suspect remains in cus­tody as investigations continue.”

No dates for the funeral have been set because the family are waiting for Kafoa’s death certificate.

Accident Compensation Commission Fiji

Chief executive officer Parvez Akbar said: “Like any other situa­tion, what we normally do is for our team to reach out, but prior to that we sometimes let the family grief, then we contact them later because we respect their time of mourning."

“But usually, our team tries to make contact with the families af­fected as soon as possible and ex­plain to them the process. If there’s no exclusion that applies, then cer­tainly, but this was a pedestrian walking down the road so I can’t imagine if there’s any exclusion."

“If they want our team to reach out, they are more than welcome to call us or message us privately on Facebook because we’re quite ac­tive on Facebook.”

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