Sainiani Boila 
Namosi landowners confronted Namosi Joint Venture representatives during a meeting at Namosi village yesterday, securing the release of months of frozen compensation payments and warning that failure to pay could result in a landowner takeover of the camp.
Mataqali Nabukebuke spokesman and Nabukebuke Holdings Director Petero Saunivalu said NJV had withheld payments owed to the mataqali since last year.
The freeze followed a letter from Isireli Fa, a lawyer representing another group of landowners who did not want to participate in the meeting. The trust dismissed the letter, insisting only their legal entity holds authority.
“They have not been paying compensation from last year and it was discovered by the trust that they are staying there without paying anything. So we wanted them to move out. Why are you staying here when there is no decision made by the minister on the SPL and you are not paying anything? We have a legal trust in place, and we do not recognize Cyril Farr or his group.”
The dispute escalated amid stalled Special Prospecting Licence 1420 renewal. Saunivalu said the trust had already stormed the Waisoi camp last Sunday, signalling readiness to act again if demands were not met.
He added that the trust rejected reliance on investor funds, vowing to implement self-made policies to protect landowning units from extractive industries, even as Fiji reviews its Mining Act.
Namosi Joint Venture Country Manager Netava Bakaniceva agreed to release the rental arrears totaling $75,000 this Friday. The meeting was held in the presence of the NJV Manager and Director Mines Apete Soro.
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