Stupid Waitman

the Lily pond, with resident, but shy crocodile(s)

Tuesday

I went to Kina beach with my lunch, as I often do – meeting and talking to local youths and young men. On this occasion there were only two men present – sleeping after coming back late in the night from Bogia but they awoke and the shorter one insisted I photograph them ( I had brought my camera following request the previous week) which I did. The taller man then left and the remaining rascal wanted to take my photo but with his hands on the camera he made off at speed into banana plot 49.

I tried to call a couple of friends from the area but their phones were switched off. Office colleague (by-law enforcement officer) took me round with some previous photos I had taken to try and identify the individual.. We did trace some relatives and friends of people in my photographs who we visited at Balisiga market, Jomba and Wagol river area and asked for help in retrieving the camera but without success other than finding that a camera was on the market for k200

Wednesday I was intending to go to my lunch spot again for any news but one of the lads came into the office to say the bloke had been identified and we should go and speak to him. We went, with a driver from the office but on passing the settlement where the camera had been stolen local residents cautioned about approaching the rascal directly, saying we should go to the police station. I had intended to do that after lunch anyway so we went and I submitted a written statement together with the photographs. The police seemed to find it hard to believe (if not hilarious) that stupid waitman had actually handed the camera to the rascol. Nevertheless they took details and said they would detain him when their car came back from its repairs in the workshop, and that we couldn’t use our open back truck from the office for the job.

Thursday morning and Councillor Bunbun seems to be involved in helping now. It seems the police did go with him and arrested the man at gunpoint, ‘interviewed’ him leading to his admitting the theft and to having passed the camera to another who had then sold it to a lawyer in the town.

Friday – called on police for incident number, they told me I needed to go to CID in town centre because of camera’s value. Strange how so many people in the market, on the street and the PMVs both recognise me and ask If I have got the camera back yet.

prison

village near prison

On Friday the town mayor was locked up by the police. I assumed it was connected with the fisticuffs in the office corridors the day before when councillors were discussing whether or not to hold a council meeting but it turns out it was for an alleged forged signature. His colleagues rallied round to raise the bail money to get him out so we are back to normal again.

As I go round the town tne I often take photographs of people and children – it breaks the ice and is usually welcomed then, later I may take back prints for the victims. The last one turned out to have been banged up in Beon, the local prison in the interim hence a good reason to visit the establishment. As luck would have it the day before my visit a “rascol” had been cut up in his attempt to hold up and rob a PMV (little bus) and as a result a fight had been arranged for the next day between the highlanders (who generally run the PMVs) and the Sepiks whose colleague had died. Having notice of these battles allows people to keep away, like the police or to join in but is inconvenient when your PMV route is affected. Eventually found a bus prepared to go to the prison but by a circuitous route which turned out fine if crowded given the number of people and the shortage of PMVs. At the prison, clearly a pretty smart set of half a dozen compounds built in the last one or two years – all very silvery the fencing, razor wire and tin buildings set in the rolling forested hills. My colleague, who had spent some time locked upo here a few years ago hardly recognised the place. The prisoner was pleased to have a visit, wolfed down the lettuce sandwiches I had brought for him and was delighted with some new (second hand) clothes presented by my colleague. It seems that 7 or 800 convicts and remand prisoners are held there – (for a provincial population of around 350,000). The food sounded unattractive and boring, they get plenty of exercise, mostly cutting the acres of grass with bush knives but also some football – apparently no classes or training on offer which is sad.

This weekend two competing events have been laid on in the town by different organizations promoting (without admitting it) their own candidates for the elections next year. I have an invitation to both with clear instructions to attend that organised by the previous Provincial Governor who has lost his elevated government position in the recent change of government. I have a pre-arranged meeting but will probably look into both events if only to see who is attending which.

Sunrise again....

Taxi to island