Minister Sasa Zibe Challenged to listen to his own people.


The issue of the damage to the Watut and the people who rely upon it for their very existence and the resulting court case should not be the subject of a publicity-seeking talkfest proposed by Member for Huon Gulf Hon. Sasa Zibe. The question of liability of MMJV for the damage is before the Courts and Minister Zibe’s conduct would be in contempt of Court.

Where was Sasa Zibe when the people he represents in Parliament were crying for help throughout 2009  and 2010 as their river had been destroyed?
Where was he when they were complaining that the fish were dead, that they couldn’t use the river for transport as the overburden from the mine had made the river too shallow?”

Authorities have been signed by landowners of the Lower Watut region, which is in his electorate, for me to represent them in the court case against MMJV as Sasa Zibe did nothing to help them.

Now the mining company is putting the pressure on as the Court case has started, Sasa Zibe is trying to get his people to stop their fight for their rights by the calling of a general forum. The issues he seeks to talk about in the Forum, if dealt with properly, would take weeks to resolve, not days. Sasa Zibe is paying lip service to public consultation and he knows it.

I remind Sasa Zibe of his own Government’s warning of Contempt of Court several months ago through the then Attorney General Ano Pala and the then Governor of Madang Sir Arnold Amet (now Attorney General) to anyone who wished to debate, talk about or protest against the amendments to the Environment Act, as Mr Pala stated that the issue legality of the amendments was before the Courts. They threatened any and every citizen of this country with charges of Contempt of Court if the issues before the Court were discussed in any forum.

I suggest that Sasa Zibe takes his own Attorney General’s advice on this matter and refrain from any discussions concerning the basis of the Court case and should he in fact discuss any of the issues before the Court, I will not hesitate to commence proceedings for Contempt of Court against him, in order to protect the legal rights of the people of the Watut.

It would be also proper for the minister to get his Huon Gulf District JDP & BPC to help Bulolo District JDP & BPC to fund the court case because we have heard their plea and stood in on his behalf.

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