From canecutter to Fiji’s president

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President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere during one of his missions in Lebanon. Picture: SUPPLIED

Newly elected President Ratu Wiliame Maivalili Katonivere says while growing up, he had so much respect for his father, Ratu Sepesa Soso Katonivere, that he channelled all requests through his mum, Adi Samanunu Boteiviwa. Ratu Sepesa, a former parliamentarian and former Tui Macuata, was a strict man who believed hard work and perseverance were the only keys to success in one’s life.

So, after completing secondary education at Bua College in 1981 and being a young lad, Ratu Wiliame thought to use his dad’s connections as a parliamentarian to secure himself a job.

With high hopes of his dad hooking him up with a job, Ratu Wiliame approached his mum at their Verata St home in Naisonini, Suva, and asked for her intervention.

“I was bored staying at home and I wanted to work so I asked my mum to ask my dad for him to find my job,” he said.

“But my dad’s response just made me want to go to the village.

“He refused to set me up with a job and told my mum to tell me that I was old enough to find work.

“He also told her to direct me to write up my job application and to do things myself.”

Speechless at his dad’s response, Ratu Wiliame, the youngest of seven siblings, decided to return to his home, Naduri Village, Macuata. He said going back home was “life-changing.”

It taught him humility and he experienced first-hand, the harsh realities of life for the ordinary people.

“I went back to Naduri and one day, a few men in the village were given a contract to cut cane in Seaqaqa and I joined them out of excitement as I wanted to experience life as a canecutter,” he said.

“I cut cane for two seasons in Seaqaqa and I loved it because we woke up early in the morning to cut cane and our day was always filled with laughter and jokes.

“My cousins were part of the gang and we used to spoil each other all the time. After cutting cane, I decided to try out something different so I applied to the military.

“Now, this was another level because it taught me a lot about discipline and obedience.”

At the age of 19 in 1984, Ratu Wiliame joined the Royal Fiji Military Forces and served two missions in Lebanon.

“Life as a military man was very different because there was no room for disobedience and this shaped my focus of life.

“When you get to this stage where you live a disciplined and obedient lifestyle, you start to get serious with your goals in life and your purpose of being alive in this earth.

“After I completed my missions in Lebanon, I returned home and worked for the Fijian Affairs Board and, mind you, by this time, my dad had retired so I had no problems finding jobs.

“This was a new experience because I got to know and understand the iTaukei administrative processes, the government administrative work in rural areas and the role of the iTaukei Board.”

Ratu Wiliame travelled to his older sister, Adi Asenaca Vuibau, in the United States in 1998 where he spent three years before returning to Naduri Village where he remained since.

 

School days

Recalling his primary school days in Draiba Fijian School, Ratu Wiliame described his class as one made up of children from ‘notorious’ areas of Suva – Raiwaqa, Raiwasa and Toorak.

“These classmates of mine were very different because there was a mixture from all the very hardcore areas of Suva in those days so they were not frightened to experience new things in school.

“So our class was always full of adventures and experiences with the teachers and even until today, we keep in touch on social media.

“The name of our private group on Facebook is ‘Class of Independence’ and some of my classmates became pastors, some worked in different companies and some were even prisoners but we remain close and we often share about all the fun dayswe had.”

Hitching a ride with neighbours was also part of his primary school days “fun” activities if he missed the school bus or his dad left early for work.

“I would wear my uniform and look out for my friends in the neighbourhood who were ready to leave home then I would make my way to the road and get a ride.

“My neighbours included three women who later participated in the Hibiscus Carnival – two of them were Natalie Grey and Florence Fenton who were crowned Miss Hibiscus.

“Natalie is more like a sister to us because every time her mum went to work, she would bring Natalie and her brother home to my mum for the day.”

At Bua College, Ratu Wiliame had to adjust from the niceties of city life to the rural lifestyle.

“I adjusted quickly because I lived with my mum in Bua and I spent most of my childhood days holidaying in Waisa, Kubulau, where my mum hails from.

“Renowned rugby rep Mosese Taga was my good friend in school and because I didn’t board, I could easily visit villages and made new friends.

“The villages I spent most of my time in were Naruwai, Dama and Nagadoa and we used to go swimming, collect fi rewood, ride horses and go farming. Those were fun days.”

 

Ocean work 

As President, Ratu Wiliame believes he has a platform to promote the work he has always done and is passionate about – protecting the oceans. Being chairman of the Qoliqoli Cokavata Committee for the past decade and tasked with the overall duty of protecting the oceans of Macuata, Ratu Wiliame is adamant he wants to do more.

“We need to protect our resources for our children and their children and this is the message I have always preached about because we all play a vital role.”

 

Walk with God 

Ratu Wiliame said he had never doubted the hand of God in his life. He said all his past experiences – from the cane fields to living in the village and having a taste of American life – shaped him to be the person he was today.

“Two things I believe helped see me through all the years of my life is to always stay humble and to be obedient to God.

“In all my experiences of reading the Word of God from the Old Testament to the New, those two messages have been my mantra.

“I believe if we have these two traits in life, we can take on any challenge that comes our way.”

Even now as the President of Fiji, Ratu Wiliame said he believed God’s Word would guide him through life.

“I serve the Almighty God and I believe that the same God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will see me through as I begin my new journey.”.

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