30
Sep, 2023

Tribute for late Taufa Vakatale

By Peceli Naviticoko, FBC News | 20232806

The Late Taufa Vakatale.

Opposition Leader Inia Seruratu has expressed his condolences on the passing of a giant in Fiji’s history, the former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Education, Taufa Vakatale.

Seruiratu says late Vakatale was a woman of firsts.

He adds she was Fiji’s first female Deputy Prime Minister; the first ever Fijian woman elected as a Cabinet Minister; the first indigenous woman appointed as a Deputy High Commissioner; and the first Fijian woman to serve as a Secondary School principal.

Seruiratu adds late Vakatale rose in the era when women, especially iTaukei women, had to contend with limits placed on them by society.

He says she shattered glass ceilings and was a role model for all women and young girls in Fiji.

Meanwhile, Labour Leader Mahendra Chaudhry says late Vakatale will be remembered for a long and distinguished career as a civil servant, educationist, diplomat and politician.

30
Sep, 2023

A life well lived

TALEBULA KATE | 3 July, 2023, 4:16 pm

Fiji’s first woman deputy prime minister Dr Meraia Taufa Vakatale was farewelled by close friends and family at the John Wesley Mission Church in Suva last Friday.

Ms Vakatale lived most of her life in the civil service as an educator, politician and also became the first female acting prime minister for Fiji.

Former and current Adi Cakobau School students, Turaga na Vunivalu na Tui Kaba Ratu Epenisa Cakobau, Marama Bale na Roko Tui Dreketi Ro Teimumu Kepa were among those who paid tribute at the church service.

She became the first indigenous woman to be elected as a Cabinet minister and served as the minister for education, science and technology from 1993 to 1995.

There wasn’t a dry eye in the room as eulogies were delivered by close families and friends of Ms Vakatale’s days as a teacher, diplomat, and mother.

Daughter, Alanieta Vakatale, said her mother still lived on, not only in the lives of her family but also in all her friends and those whose lives she touched.

“She always challenged us as a family to do better and be better always,” she said.

“Above all, she taught us never to take ourselves seriously, to have fun and laughs in our lives. We will miss her.”

Ms Vakatale is survived by a daughter, four stepdaughters, three grandchildren connected through nieces and nephews raised throughout the years. She was laid to rest at the Lovonilase cemetery.

A life well lived
4
Jul, 2023

Small yet a Giant by other measures

“Small in stature but a giant in every other way” 

Rest in Peace: Mereia Taufa Vakatale 1938-2023 

The Adi Cakobau School family is in mourning following the sad news of the passing of former student, teacher, principal, former President of the Old Girls Association, the late Dr. Mereia Taufa Vakatale. 

Ms Vakatale was one of the pioneer students who was selected from across Fiji to study at Adi Cakobau School in 1948, 75 years ago. She was only 9 years old at the time. 

Ms Vakatale was an excellent role model who inspired the younger female students to pursue their education. 

She was a first at many things – she was the first indigenous female student to receive a New Zealand University Entrance after she passed both the NZ UE and Senior Cambridge exams in the same year, first indigenous woman to attain a Bachelor of Arts and did so at the University of Auckland becoming the first indigenous female to attain a degree from that institution too. 

When she became Principal at Adi Cakobau School, she was the first indigenous woman to head a secondary school in Fiji and became the first local principal at that school.

She was the first national president of the Young Women Christian Association of Fiji. 

When she turned to the foreign service and served as Deputy High Commissioner to Britain, she became the first woman to attain that position. She was the first indigenous woman to be Permanent Secretary for Education, first indigenous woman to be Minister for Education. 

At the end of her political career, Ms Vakatale was the first woman Deputy Prime Minister and first woman to act as Prime Minister.

As another former student of Adi Cakobau School once said, “She was a very special OG who had contributed significantly to ACS as first local Principal, Permanent Secretary for Education, Minister for Education and Deputy Prime Minister.” After her years of service to the nation, she also contributed to our school association as its president over three years in the 90s.

All of this and more, she never once forgot her roots, or us her former students, who were not always well-behaved or well-mannered. We sang and danced with Ms Vakatale, never once doubting her leadership, her commitment to every aspect of the school’s life, to its progress and growth.

We celebrate our Principal and her legacy, recounting the many stories of the firsts that Ms Vakatale achieved in her education, career, community service and her personal life.

We extend our condolences to Alani Vakatale (90s Decade) and her family, Taufa Waqa and Marica Waqa (80s Decade), Sai Elliot and Salome Elliot (M1) and her extended family.

Rest in peace, Ma’am – Small in stature but a Giant in every other way.”

 Eda sa mai rogoca tiko na i tukutuku ni o loaloa ni rarawa e sa mai solegi keda vata tiko ena nona sa mai takali e na keda maliwa o Ms Taufa Vakatale. 

O Ms Vakatale e a dua vei ira na pioneer students, o ira era a digi me ra mai i tauyavu ni gone yalewa vuli e Adi Cakobau School e na 1948 – e na 75 na yabaki sa oti. E a se qai yabaki 9 toka ga e na gauna a mai tekivu kina. 

O Ms Vakatale e dua e a vakaraitaki vinaka ni veika saraga e a gadrevi vei ira na I sevu ni goneyalewa era a kumuni vata yani ya me ra vakavulici ena vuli torocake. 

E a liu e na veika ka kece ga -ai matai ni gone yalewa I Taukei e rawata na NZ UE, vakakoroi na Bachelor of Arts, Principal Marama ni dua na koronivuli I Viti, Deputy High Commissioner mai Peritania, Vunivola Tudei ni Vuli, Minister ni Vuli, I Vukevuke ni Prime Minister. 

E na mala ni vosa ni dua na tuakada ,” She was a very special OG who had contributed significantly to ACS as first local Principal, Permanent Secretary for Education, Minister for Education and Deputy Prime Minister.” Ni oti mai na nona veiqaravi vakamatanitu, e a mai veiliutaki talega e na noda I soqosoqo ni vuli oti e na 3 na yabaki e na 90 vakacaca. 

E dina ni rawata na veika kece oqo, e sega ni vakayawaki koya mai vei ira na nona I lala, vei keda eda gone cake, o keda eda sega ni vakaitutu cecere sara, se da tu vakavanua. E meke vata kei keda, e sega ni dau calata e dua na noda soqo se bose ka ni dau colata vakavinaka na nona I tavi e na kena vei tikina kece sara, ki na kena I vakatagedegede I cake sara. 

Eda sa mai cibitaka tu oqo na noda koronivuli kei na kena I rogorogo, ia era a sa tara oti mai na vatavata cecere o ira na a liu me vakataki Ms Vakatale e na veika era rawata vakavuli, vakacakacaka, vakaveiliutaki , ka vakatalega kina e na bula vakavanua kei na bula vakaveiwekani. 

Eda sa duavata kei Alani Vakatale (90s Decade) kei na nona matavuvale, o Taufa Waqa kei Marica Waqa (80s Decade), Sai Elliot kei Salome Elliot (M1) kei na matavuvale e na nona mai lolositaki o Ms Vakatale. 

Ni qai gole e na vakacegu , Ma’am – Small in stature but a Giant in every other way. Rest In Peace 

Vinaka vakalevu Sara, 
Ilisapeci Movono 
President – Adi Cakobau School Old Girls Inc. 

21
Jun, 2023
Taufa Vakatale gallery

Taufa Vakatale, a first to achieve many

Extracted from Wikipedia and Fiji Sun Online

Taufa Vakatale was, first to achieve many, starting with being a pioneer student of Adi Cakobau School and doing the same in education, government & politics.

She is probably the most notable of ACSOG leaders having been the first iTaukei woman to be principal of Adi Cakobau School and later she became the first woman deputy Prime Minister.

She is now 75 years old but she says she thinks like a 40-year-old.  Ms Vakatale travels extensively.  She recently returned from a trip to the United States of America visiting family members.

Her first taste of politics came in 1992 after retiring from the civil service in 1990.  The 1992 elections were the first election held after the two coups in 1987.  Ms Vakatale stood in her province of Lomaiviti under the Soqosoqo ni Vakavulewa  ni Taukei (SVT) ticket.

“I saw myself as a minister and I told my constituency that I was ministerial material.  I was very confident from the start that I would win.”

She won convincingly.  In 1994 she stood in the same constituency and again won by a large margin.  Her running mate was Joeli Kalou who polled in second.

The 1999 elections, however, became a different ball game.

Ms Vakatale said: “By that time SVT was a dirty name because the iTaukei thought that we had sold out the Fijian cause.  Similar sentiments were directed towards the National Federation Party whom they had teamed up with.

“I stood alongside James Raghwan Raman from the NFP.  We were top people at the time, Mr Raman was a good debater but we both lost. “

The pair stood in the Samabula Tamavua Open constituency.

In recent times, Ms Vakatale was part of the Fiji Constitutional Commission led by Professor Yash Ghai.

Here are the thoughts of a small yet  courageous and gifted lady who has stamped her mark in Fiji’s educational and political history.

Progress to September 2014

“I am looking forward to the elections not because I’m going to take part but just to see people particularly the young people now that it’s the first time for most of them to vote.  I’m just excited to see their reactions.

“But politics is politics, it won’t really change much.  There’ll be good politicians and bad politicians.

“I’m looking forward to getting the constitution accepted, good or bad.  It will be the first democratically established government after so many years.

“If they are people of integrity, no matter what kind of politics is in place they will always do what they think is right,” Ms Vakatale said.

Women politicians

“I don’t think that there should be a reserved percentage of women in Parliament or in a political party.  It would mean forcing the issue on the population.

“Maybe recommend that each political party have at least two or three women in their party to stand. It should not be reserved,” she said.

Ms Vakatale added that in the general population women control at least 50 per cent of the voting public and sometimes it’s the women themselves who don’t help.

In 1994 the former Minister for Education said: “Women clamour for equality with men and will lobby for their rights and fight instances of discrimination against women.  Yet when the crunch comes and women are required to take up active political roles, very few have the courage to offer themselves.”

Lead with integrity

Ms Vakatale recalls her dismissal as Minister because of what she believed was right.

“I was dismissed and became a backbencher because I marched against my party for what I believed was wrong  – the nuclear testing on Murorua Atoll in French Polynesia.

“For me, my survival was not important, the survival of the people of the Pacific was more important to me.  So you’ve got to have integrity.  It doesn’t really matter if the person sitting next to you has a different view and is calling you a ‘liumuri.’ Simply do what you believe is right,” she said.

Working with Government

“When I’m asked by the current government to do things, I do it.  If I don’t believe in what they are doing, then I don’t.

“I respect them too for respecting my wishes.”

But often her friends, those she considers highly intelligent people who tend to think that she has sold out to the Government.

“But what matter are the people who are really important to me they know that I am not.”

iTaukei supremacy

“I don’t believe in Fijian (iTaukei)supremacy, even though I had attended a Fijian school I was against the emphasis on Fijian rights and Fijians this and that.”

She acknowledged that the SVT party strongly advocated such issues and she had reservations for most of their policies.

Ms Vakatale said Sitiveni Rabuka was a good leader.

“He wasn’t like all my colleagues with SVT.  All were out for indigenous Fijian paramouncy and they were all out for that.  I didn’t think that was right.  People now are more accepting.”

She added that this attitudinal change has been brought about by a government who doesn’t allow much debate.

“I agree with the changes like calling everyone Fijian, but not so much the way it was brought about.  But I suppose it was the only way to go about it.”

Former civil servants in SODELPA

Ms Vakatale said their involvement reestablishes SODELPA as an iTaukei party.

“These senior civil servants were top people.  People forget they were the government of Alliance, SVT and SDL.  You change politicians but you don’t change senior civil servants.

“As senior civil servants they had a lot of power and had the ability to influence their ministers

“They have ability to delay things if they want.  Governments come and go but they go on.”

Ms Vakatale pointed out Anare Jale, Isireli Koyamaibole and Pio Tabaiwalu as hard workers and helpful.

“They will strengthen SODELPA in leadership and caliber of people.   But for the country as a whole, I would have liked marrying of the races.”

Chiefly influence

“They still have a way in Fijian politics.  It’s ingrained in us to support our chiefs.  As a people I think it’s a good thing that we don’t let our heritage down.

“Chiefs hold more political power than what we have in politics. In politics you go for one, two terms and come out.  Chiefs stay and they go on.  That’s important and the need to be identified with our chiefs, especially those in leadership,” Ms Vakatale said.

“Major chiefs like the Roko Tui Dreketi, I think a lot of people still hold allegiance to her as an institution, and when she speaks out, she is fighting for her people and that I think is commendable.

“But from our consultations around the country people prefer to have their chiefs with no political affiliations.”

Proposed party led by PM

“I think the Prime Minister should form his party soon. He seems to be leaving it very late but he is probably very confident that he is going to get the support.

“If they get in, at least they have continuity and have the opportunity to hear the views of those who in opposition – so it might be a good thing.  I just hope that if they don’t win, we won’t have another one….”

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mereia Taufa Vakatale, O.F. (born 1938) is a Fijian former educator and politician. She served in the Cabinet of Fiji under the Soqosoqo ni Vakavulewa ni Taukei (SVT) during 1993–1995 and 1997–1999. In 1997, she became Fiji’s first female Deputy Prime Minister.

Taufa Vakatale was born in 1938 on Batiki in the Lomaiviti Islands. Her parents were Alanieta Naucukidi and Mosese Vakatale, a Methodist minister. She attended primary school on Gau Island before enrolling in the first cohort of students at Adi Cakobau School, a government boarding school for girls on Fiji’s main island, Viti Levu, in 1948. She received the New Zealand School Certificate in 1954. Three years later, she became the first indigenous Fijian girl to pass the New Zealand University Entrance examination and upon graduating from the University of Auckland in 1963, the first Fijian woman to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Vakatale returned to her boarding school, Adi Cakobau, as a teacher. She was the school principal from 1973 from 1979, making her the first indigenous Fijian woman to serve as a secondary school principal. She left the school to become a diplomat in 1980 and became the first indigenous Fijian woman appointed as a deputy high commissioner. She held various positions in the civil service, particularly in the field of education, and became Chief Education Officer in 1983.

Vakatale left the civil service in 1990. She ran for election in 1992 under the Soqosoqo ni Vakavulewa ni Taukei (SVT) party ticket; she was elected and won a bid for re-election in 1994. Her win in 1992 made her the first Fijian woman elected as a cabinet minister. She was Minister of Education, Science and Technology from 1993 to 1995, but she was dismissed from her cabinet post in 1995 because, in contrast to the SVT’s policies, she opposed French nuclear weapons testing in Moruroa Atoll in French Polynesia.

In 1997, she was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Technology and in 1999 she became the first female president of the SVT. Vakatale resigned from the SVT in 2000 in opposition to the coup d’état by i-Taukei nationalists which had removed then-Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry from power.

After retiring from politics, Vakatale worked in the private education sector. She was made an Officer of the Order of Fiji in 1996 and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by the University of St Andrews in 2009. In 2012, she was selected as a member of the Constitutional Commissionheaded by Yash Ghai.