Sabama

The roadblock begins in front of the Sabama market all the way to Mahuru.

The road was closed after an eviction notice had been served on a local woman living at the junction of Sabama-Pari intersection, to vacate her premises to allow for the road development to continue through.

There are also fears that the rest of the homes within the sphere of the road development may be removed, forcing locals to close the road until a proper explanation.

Aora Avee and her family were forced by a group men, numbering 20, to vacate the home after the group claimed they had the title to the home, which is a National Housing Corporation property.

Quick intervention by Police from Badili saw the arrest of 13 perpetrators and stopped any further destruction.

Avee said in all her life, she had never experienced something so terrifying, when the armed men broke down the gate and began to destroy property and chase them out.

By 6am today, polling teams camping at Kila Kila Secondary School headed out to their respective venues.

Loop PNG visited polling venues at Sabama and Downtown Port Moresby, noting a good turnout in both areas.

At Sabama, showers threatened to stop polling as there weren't proper tents to house polling booths as well as officials and security.

In downtown, polling began smoothly.

Incumbent Moresby South MP Justin Tkatchenko also cast his vote at the polling venue at the Port Moresby Police Station.

More updates to come....

The clash took place at Mahuru Village between the villagers and settlers from Sabama, which resulted in the death of a man from the Kepiki tribe in Ialibu, Southern Highlands Province.

Elder Thomas Warua, a relative of the deceased, said with the peace mediation process underway, both parties must refrain from causing any more trouble as police investigation over the death continues. 

Warua assured the people of Mahuru that they are not the type to retaliate as Southern Highlanders are peaceful people.

The deceased, Isaiah Kewa, from Kepiki tribe in Ialibu, Southern Highlands Province, was killed in Mahuru Village and pronounced dead early the next day, shortly after being rushed to the Port Moresby General Hospital.

A peace mediation meeting was held on Monday, June 26, at the Boroko Police Station between the Mahuru villagers, the Kaure community of Sabama and the relatives of late Kewa, facilitated by NCD Peace Mediation team.

A three point petition was presented by the tribesmen to the Mahuru people at the meeting.

According to witnesses and people living around the area, the fetus looked to be 5 to 6 months old, was aborted, packed in a plastic bag and thrown in the nearby drain.

The fetus was said to have been in the drain since the previous night and was found by an elderly man later in the afternoon.

The witness, who did not want to be named, said he thinks that the fetus could have been left there a day prior to its discovery as a good number of people have already been going back and forth from the same area, thinking it was just a plastic filled with rubbish.

Yesterday (March 27^th) two men were badly bashed up and handed over to police, while another was chased away by angry vendors.

The vendors have sent a clear message that they do not want criminal elements to disturb their customers who frequent the area to have their cars cleaned.

A community spokesman Tony Hovea says  the business of cleaning cars benefits many unemployed youths which is why anything that can cause them to lose customers  will be dealt with.