Issue No: 633; 28 March 2001

About 6 villagers from villages in Nadi went to the Sabeto Primary School yesterday morning demanding `goodwill' payment of over $50,000 and then ordered that the school be closed. About 200 children, between the ages of 6 and 13, took shelter under trees around the school as the villagers moved in. This was in the presence of police officers and education ministry officials.

School officials state that they had paid $35,000 goodwill to the landowners in 1996 for the renewal of the lease as well as paid $4,671 to the Native Lands Trust Board for costs to amalgamate two leases for the primary and secondary schools, and to process the documents. Landowners are now demanding $63,208.

Officials state that the landowners were motivated by information that the state pays for goodwill demands made from schools. Media reports state that he landowners heard that in the past the government paid the money demanded and are now demanding over $63,000 hoping that the government will pay up.

Today's Fiji Times quotes a spokesman for the villagers as saying that they have given the school until 27 April to pay after which "we will close the school, until it is paid".

The actions of the landowners has drawn wide criticism from the people of Fiji. Most people yesterday expressed disgust at the fact that villagers could not only take the law into their hands in front of police officers, but also at the thought of villagers bent on disrupting education.

Today's Fiji Times has condemned the takeover saying that the act was illegal and that the perpetrators must be punished. It also stated that such "confrontational actions on issues involving land not only expose the tribes to legal consequences but in the much wider picture worry potential investors. Without protection of property rights, investors will be scared away".