Ministry of Itaukei Affairs Board Permanent Secretary, Naipote Katonitabua has clarified that the Native Land Commission’s decision for not registering adopted children into the Vola Ni Kawa Bula has been in the VKB Guidelines.
Katonitabua says this is based on previous cases of conflicts that arises between the members of a mataqali and the adopted children.
Questions were raised at the Rewa Provincial Council meeting on why adopted children are still not allowed to be registered under the VKB.
Katonitabua says that they have faced a lot of challenges and barriers in the past where some children have been registered and later on causing problems again in their mataqali while in other cases, adopted children face discrimination from members of the mataqali.
When asked on what happens if a mataqali agreed to register an adopted child, Katonitabua says they will stand by their guidelines.
