Beautiful from afar, sickening at the core

By Mata'afa Keni Lesa 15 January 2018, 12:00AM

Some great things have been said about this country over recent weeks. 

If you’ve been following the Dear Tourist pages of your newspaper, you would have been proud. Indeed visitors from all over the world - including many Samoans coming back for the holidays - have been impressed so much by the changes they have seen that they have been doing nothing but singing praises of how wonderful this place is.

Elsewhere, holidaymakers have thoroughly enjoyed Samoa’s environment of peace and political stability, the friendliness of our people and just the wonderful natural surrounding. Many of them have vowed to return home and tell their families and friends about it so they too can come get a slice of our paradise. Which is fantastic, isn’t it? 

But that’s the kind of thing we should expect more often, don’t you think?

There is no doubt that Samoa has come a long way. And there is a lot to be proud of. 

But there is also a lot to be sad and worry about.

Last Saturday, a couple of horrific and bizarre stories which unfolded in different parts of the country is sending out a shockwave to the rest of the world with the idea that something is definitely amiss in the make up of Samoan society today. 

The first incident happened in the middle of Apia last Friday where a young woman was stabbed by her angry husband in view of members of the public. 

An eyewitness said the man came out of nowhere and started stabbing her multiple times.

 “The victim was walking when out of nowhere the accused jumped in front of her and started stabbing her,” an eye witness recalled. “He stabbed her eight times to the chest, on her side and her back. She then fell on the ground and the accused ran away.”

The eyewitness said there was a lot of blood everywhere.

“It was a very sad scene because she just laid there in a pile of blood. The security tried to chase him (accused). He ran away while the victim was lying in a pile of blood.”

Later the man was found after he had attempted to kill himself. The good news is that both the man and woman are recovering at the Moto’otua Hospital. 

But the same thing can’t be said about the second incident on the other side of Upolu. This time, the head of a 15-year-old boy was savagely bashed in a murder allegedly connected to drug dealing at Satapuala.

“On Wednesday 19th January 2017 police received a request for assistance regarding a 15 year old male, Uili Uili of Satapuala who was reported missing by his family since Tuesday 9th January 2018,” a statement from the Police said. 

“The concerned family indicated to police that he is suspected to have been a victim of a drug related incident.

“Faleolo outpost responded to the request and as a result police confirmed the existence of marijuana plantations and possible high-powered weapons. The information received during the preliminary investigation led to the execution of a search Warrant at Satapuala Thursday evening.

 “As a result of the police search, close to 200 plants and loose marijuana were seized. The concerning amount is estimated to earn approximately at a street value of over $100,000 tala. Police also seized an illegal weapon and ammunitions associated with the cultivation of marijuana plants. 

“Earlier on Friday morning police reconvened its search and were able to locate the body of the victim. More marijuana plants and possible high power military ammunitions were seized. A number of booby traps installed in the area were also removed by police.”

These are clearly some of the most shocking incidents to have emerged in this country for quite some time. 

Indeed, what could possibly drive a man to ruthlessly attack his wife in public? He could have easily killed her.

At Satapuala, why would someone be so heartless as to bash a 15-year-old boy so that his face becomes unrecognizable in the process of killing him? 

In Samoa today, let us be warned. We live in a country that looks beautiful from afar but when you scratch beneath the surface, you will find that it’s actually becoming rotten at its core. The point is that these incidents should concern us all. There is definitely a lot of work for all the leaders of this country to do to avoid a repeat. 

What do you think?  

Have a safe Tuesday Samoa, God bless!

By Mata'afa Keni Lesa 15 January 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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