Falealili District Presents Traditional Apology to Lotofaga for Machete Killing

By Lagi Keresoma

APIA, SAMOA – 12 MARCH 2022: The district of Falealili presented a Ifoga – the traditional apology this morning – seeking forgiveness and return village relations to normality following the killing of a young Lotofaga man and two seriously injured in the hands of a 51 year old man of Falealili.

The incident happened at Tafatafa, a village of the Falealili district last Sunday afternoon following a night of drinking.

The Falealili village chiefs and two church ministers arrived at Lotofaga after 7.00 this morning and the ceremony proceeded when the Lotofaga high chief Fiame Naomi Mataafa arrived.

While Fiame and village council discussed matters inside the house, Falealili representatives led by Reverend Tolei’u Tolei’u of the Methodist Church and Bishop Leapaga Tiputa Apinati of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints sat outside of the meeting house in the morning sun with heads bowed.

Just behind the church ministers, four chiefs from the Falealili were covered with a sprawling fine mat as a sign of their remorse.

It only took a minute for the Lotofaga orators Sitagata and Lemauga to come out and remove the fine mat as a sign of acceptance of the apology by the village council.

Lotofaga orators Sitagata and Lemauga came out and removed the fine mat as a sign of acceptance and invited the visitors in to the meeting house.

The visitors were then invited inside the meeting house. Orator Leapagatele Eteuati spoke on behalf of the Falealili district expressing their remorse for what had happened and thanked Lotofaga for accepting the apology.

In response, orator Sitagata Tuatagaloa acknowledged the apology and briefly touched on the incident which he said was somewhat provoked by their young men.

Falealili district then made traditional presentations of fine mats and monetary donations to the village church ministers and chiefs and to the family of the deceased and the two injured men.

For the family of the deceased, the village presented a fine mat and $10,000 tala and $1000 tala each for the families of the two injured men.

Separate presentations were made to the Lotofaga high chief, Fiame Naomi Mataafa and $5000 tala was also presented to the village as a whole.

Handshakes and offering pleasantries between the two parties after as a sign of forgiveness and renewed relations after the serious incident.

Orator Sitagata Tuatagaloa responded on behalf of Lotofaga and acknowledged the apology and the gifts.

“All is forgiven through the love of God,” he said and prayed that today’s reconciliation be a lesson to stop any such incidents from happening again in the future.

After the ceremony, Leapagatele told Talamua that what happened last Sunday is not easily forgotten.

Following today’s apology, relations should return to normal between the families and the two villages against any thoughts of retaliation.
The incident claimed the life of a young man and hospitalized two others for serious injuries when they were attacked by a 51 year old man with a machete.

Despite the traditional apology, the course of the law will continue and the accused is currently in police custody charged with murder and attempted murder.