The Malvatumauri Council of Chiefs’ peaceful protest over Matthew and Hunter that was initially planned to happen today has been postponed to Friday, April 5 because of the death of a former Prime Minister, late Donald Kalpokas Masike’ Vanua.
“On behalf of all chiefs and people of Vanuatu from the Torres through to Aneityum and Matthew and Hunter Islands, I wish to express our deepest condolences to the families of the late Kalpokas, and the people of Lelepa Island, North Efate, Efate, Shefa Province, the Vanuatu Government and the people of Vanuatu,” said Malvatumauri President, Chief Willie Grey Plasua. “We, the chiefs of Vanuatu bow humbly and mourn one of our great leaders and statesman who has left us.”
Chief Plasua described the late Kalpokas as one of Vanuatu’s ‘fallen nabanga’.
“The late Kalpokas Masike’Vanua was not only a politician, former Prime Minister and statesman, but he was also an elder in the church and a chief who highly respected Vanuatu’s customs values of and held his customary title of ‘Masike’ Vanua’ up to the time of his passing away,” the Malvatumauri President said.
“Today, the sounds of bubu and tamtam are heard in mourning for one of our great leaders and to farewell his departure from this world, but his legacy and footprints will always remain with us and in this nation.”
Chief Plasua said the chiefs’ peaceful protest will take place after the 10th day mourning period of the late former Prime Minister as the highest chiefly customary respect bestowed on a national leader.
