Miss St Helena 2018 - A Brilliant Event - An independent newspaper in association with Saint FM and St Helena Online - A Brilliant Event Not Much ...
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Est. 2005
VOLUME XIII ISSUE 24, 18th MAY 2018, PRICE £1
An independent newspaper in association with Saint FM and St Helena Online
Miss St Helena 2018 - A Brilliant Event
Not Much Money for Nice Words About St Helena
St Helena - Hard
Bargaining by DfID
Money, Money, Money – must be funny, in the rich man’s world
At last we have some figures for money in the St Helena
Government budget for the financial year which started 48
days ago. The long wait has been for DFID to make up its
mind how much they will provide in Grant-in-Aid to make up
for St Helena Government funds which cannot be raised on
the Island without leaving all of us penniless. The DFID deci-
sion is certainly not funny; there is not a hint of joy and hap-
piness in their funding decision. Last year Grant-in-Aid was
£24.5million, up £2million on the previous year. The 2018-19
figure for Grant-in-Aid is reported to be £25.6million just
£1.1million or 4.49% more than last year. The inflation rate
for 2017 was 4% so no extra money has been allocated to
expand or improve any of the government services. Govern-
ment revenue raised on-island last year reduced by £500,000 optic cable remains on track. There is still some detailed
compared with the year before. It seems clear revenue from work to be completed before the EU funding is released; this
tax and duty will need to increase this year on last year’s is expected to happen in September. The main part of the
levels if St Helena Government revenue is to avoid being less transatlantic cable project transatlantic cable itself, from
than last year. Yzerfontein north of Cape Town to Fortaleza in Brazil, should
be finalised in about two months time. This project appears
There is still no news of any funding for new projects such as to be on schedule.
the new prison, affordable houses or Rupert’s cargo handling
area. Without any official confirmation it can only be as- The other big project with PASH Global aimed at reducing our
sumed there will no funding for these kinds of improvements reliance on diesel powered electricity generation and increas-
for the second consecutive year. ing the use of renewable energy sources is also moving for-
ward. It is understood the contracts for the Renewable En-
The only advances are being made without DFID help, which ergy Project are with lawyers who will be hammering out the
maybe what they want to see. The funding from the Euro- details.
pean Union for the St Helena link to the transatlantic fibre-
MV Helena and motivation towards self-reliance
Another 19 containers will have their contents drifting towards
their sell-by dates as they wander around the South African
coast for an extra month before being shipped here. It is the
third time in four voyages the transhipment arrangements have
failed. The reasons for missing the planned schedule are
well known but do we have to be inconvenienced by it to the
extent we are? Some of shortages, which are now an even
more constant annoyance to making shopping a pleasant
experience, are surely avoidable.
Island-made compost comes immediately to mind; it is a
good example and considering the benefits it can bring could
be one of the most important. Right now ready-made com-
post is very difficult to find but it is an important ingredient
when planting fruit, vegetables or garden shrubs. More of us
could make our own. In 2014 a community compost scheme supply locally made animal feed.” The National Agriculture
was announced aimed at reducing the amount of green waste Policy and Implementation Strategy published in 2013 also
going to landfill. Ross Towers, who was the project manager tell us that in the medium to long term, “In line with our Na-
at the time said, “Currently about 25% of domestic waste tional Solid Waste Management Strategy targets, investigate
going to the Horse Point landfill is compostable. If we can medium-long term opportunity for commercialising compost
divert this waste and make it useful, there are huge benefits. production through recycling of green, household, fish and
For example, the lifespan of the landfill itself will increase, animal waste streams to improve availability of organic mate-
the reliance on imported compost will be reduced and on- rial supplies.”
Island compost should be financially competitive. Pest spe-
cies such as rats and pigeons will have less of a food source, The previous Sustainable Development Plan also kicked off
and on-Island fruit and vegetable production will be supported.” in 2014 but mentioned not one word about island-made com-
All of this is true but where can we buy the island-made com- post. The new improved Sustainable Economic Development
post planned four years ago? Plan runs until 2028. Maybe the medium to long term will
The new Sustainable Economic Development Plan states in come around before 2028. Attempts were made to contact
the section on agriculture, “There is also a business opportu- various people in the Environment and Natural Resources
nity to provide organic waste collection and composting serv- Department for comments but no-one was available at print
ices as per St Helena’s Waste Management Strategy, and to deadline.
The St Helena Independent Volume XIII, Issue 24, Friday 18th May 2018 2
We need dedicated TRAVEL ADVISORY
Unplanned events at OR Tambo International Airport in Johan-
traffic cops nesburg this morning have caused a slight delay in the flight
It was strongly advocated to the Independent this week that to St Helena.
the Police Service should have dedicated traffic cops. The Three passengers did not present themselves to the Boarding
traffic cops would not be constantly hiding in the bushes with Gate on time and as a result were not able to travel on today’s
radar guns notching up the number of drivers they can nob- flight.
ble for speeding, nor would they have breathalyser kits in Today’s events have caused a minor delay to the flight sched-
their hands the whole time. Speeding and drink-driving would ule. All passengers are therefore requested to strictly adhere
be part of the job but they could do other useful work as well. to check-in and boarding times to avoid circumstances like
Parking in Jamestown has been a problem ever since and these.
nothing of any significance has yet been achieved. Traffic
cops, it is argued, can ensure the introduction of a short- Passengers are reminded that OR Tambo International is a
stay / long stay parking scheme is effective; that the stands large sprawling airport and help can be arranged to assist pas-
on Main Street and the Grand Parade are used only by shop- sengers transiting the airport. Passengers arriving or depart-
pers and the all day parking is kept to the outlying parking ing Johannesburg requiring extra time to board, who cannot
areas. walk long distances, or are in need of assistance can make
suitable arrangements through Airlink on tel: +27114517350.
In view of the unwelcome news about this year’s Grant-in-Aid The same arrangements can be made for St Helena Airport if
from DFID it seems inevitable the auto-response from our required.
government would be “we cannot afford it”. However, the time SHG
seems to be coming when fashionable words such as ‘vi- 12 May 2018
brant’, ‘resilience’ and ‘looking forward’ are pushed aside in
favour of ‘productivity’. What does that mean? Productivity
is explained as “Productivity is computed by dividing average
output per period by the total costs incurred or resources
(capital, energy, material and personnel) consumed in that
period. Productivity is a critical determinant of cost efficiency.”
Put more simply it means more for less.
Fresh St Helena Tuna a favourite
in South Africa
Another 246 kilograms (540 lbs) of fresh yellowfin was flown
out this month. It was immediately sold by Green Fish to the
Asara Wine Estate and Hotel, much to the hotel chef’s de-
light. The first export of fresh fish was in January this year and
regular fish exports have been delivered to Green Fish since
then. The consignment flown out on 5th May was the fifth fresh
fish export. The next consignment is scheduled for 19th May
and that will be the seventh export of fresh fish this year.
Exporting fresh tuna is not a simple operation. Various spe-
cial arrangements need to be in place to ensure it is fresh
when it flown out and stays fresh until receives by the chef
who is to prepare it for his customers. There also needs to be
sufficient tuna by weight in the consignment to make the ex-
port financially worthwhile. Exported fresh fish also needs to
be of a certain size to be acceptable to customers. Head chef Arek with the dish of sustainably fished, pole
caught St Helena Island tuna that will be on the menu at
Green Fish is a major supplier of high quality sustainably our Sansibar Bistro from tonight (8th May).
sourced fresh fish in South Africa. They serve the high end From the Asra Hotel Facebook page
restaurants in and around Cape Town. It is a family run busi-
ness. The Asara Hotel is a Five Star hotel in Stellenbosch, in the
middle of South Africa’s wine producing region. The hotel is
surrounded by 25 acres of garden and beyond that is 275
acres of vineyards.
The Sansibar Bistro where the St Helena Yellowfin was of-
fered to hotel guests had Yellowfin Tuna with Ginger, Corian-
der and Pineapple salsa and roasted baby potatoes on the
menu for Rand 175 (£10.66).
The St Helena Independent Volume XIII, Issue 24, Friday 18th May 2018 3
Tel: [+290] 22327
Email: independent@helanta.co.sh
http: www.saint.fm
CBS, the TV and radio broadcaster in the United States will from the 2011 census in Britain. The black / white thing is
feature St Helena in its Sunday Morning show on 20th May. misleading anyway; a DNA test reveals all sorts of ethnicities
Their website gives the details and adds links for further infor- swirling about in everybody’s veins.
mation. Included among the links are Longwood House, While bloods get mixed, language separates. When digging
Aaron’s Adventure Tours and G-Unique Designs. Click on G- out information for this little piece I discovered an article with
Unique and a very professionally presented website is un- the title ‘America and England, separated by a common lan-
veiled containing all sorts of information. Among the blogs is guage’. I copied this extract from it.
one about G-Unique teaming up with the singing duo Kudos.
This blog starts with, “St Helena has been known for its fu- American “pants” are British underwear – unless you’re a
sion of nationalities - we’re the melting pot of the South Atlan- girl, in which case pants are knickers.
tic with cultural influences from around the world which can Pants is also an insult, as in, “That bloke’s pants at football”
be seen in our ancestry, built heritage & local traditions.” (in which case football is soccer).
The blog then goes on to say, “So if this fusion is what we are Eggplant is aubergine, dessert is pudding (even if it’s
known for, why should we stop embracing other cultures? not pudding), and a cookie is a biscuit.
Well, we’re not. G-Unique has jumped at the opportunity to And if you’re pissed, you’re drunk.
team up with KUDOS, two sisters from Ireland who have im- A truck is a lorry; a trunk is a boot; an elevator’s a lift; a
mersed themselves in island life” sweater’s a jumper.
Do you fancy some fries? Well, they’re chips – and chips are
I think there is already a good measure of Irish in the Island crisps.
fusion but soon we should be able to find out if I’m right. One Foil is aluminum (NO – aluminium); a mummy (not the dead
hundred DNA samples have been taken by people at the Na- Egyptian kind) is a mom.
tional Trust as part of the on-going DNA research into the Private school is public school, where they do maths and
remains of the Liberated Africans in the Pipe Building. The learn the alphabet from A to Zed (not ZEE).
fusion is almost endless, not just in St Helena but every- Have a good weekend – don’t watch too much TV.
where. What runs through the veins of red-blooded Brits is a Vince
few spoonfuls of French/German together with Spanish/Por-
tuguese, Scandinavian, Finnish/North West Russian and Irish
Numbers from the Sustainable
Celtic as well as Anglo-Saxon. A sprinkling of Eastern Euro- Economic Development Plan
pean, Italian/Greek and Western Jewish are also added for
extra flavour. Latest figures used
£31.5 million worth of goods were imported into St Helena
The list of ingredients gets longer when the ‘Empire Effect’ is last year, £95,000 worth of goods were exported, most fish
taken into account. British soldiers and sailors were des- and coffee.
patched to most corners of the world up until about 100 years
ago and still now get to places most other nations cannot Average employee income in 2015-16 was £7,620.
reach. Procreation is a global activity and this simple fact Twelve people claimed unemployment allowance in February
means the special blend of Brit blood was exported far and 2018
wide and all varieties of global concoctions were imported
back to Britain. The importation of new blood to Britain shifted Revenue earned by some business sectors - 2016-17 fig-
up a gear or two after the Brits returned from running other ures:- Hotels £260,000, Rented Accommodation £586,000,
peoples’ countries and the people from the other countries Taxi and Car Hire £167,000, Tour Guides and Tourism/Travel
decided, or were encouraged, to go to Britain. The ‘Empire Agents £58,000, Diving/Swimming £126,000, Crafts £13,000,
Effect’ means I have a measure of East Asian blood in my Restaurants/Cafes/Distilling £463,000, Fishing £31,000, Farm-
body and I would love to know how much but the 100 DNA ing £232,000, Building Materials Suppliers £1,360,000, Con-
tests recently taken do not apply to me. striction, Trades and Firewood Processing £4,000,000, Butch-
ers £326,000, Telecoms and IT Support £4.300.000, Photog-
All of this leads to my main question for this week. What on raphy/Digital £52,000.
earth is all the fuss about with Meghan Markle and the so-
called ground breaking ‘mixed-race’ marriage which heralds Fifty-four companies and 660 businesses were registered at
a cultural revolution? It’s all just media hype as the royal April 2016
wedding day draws ever closer. The facts, (which we are so
fond of at the Independent) are that 65% of ‘mixed-race’ Payments through the Bank of St Helena in 2016-17 were
women in Britain end up married or partnered to a ‘white’ man £37,300,000 going off the Island and £16,300,000 coming
while just 14% cohabit with a ‘black’ man. That analysis is into St Helena.
The St Helena Independent Volume XIII, Issue 24, Friday 18th May 2018 4
ADDITIONAL FLIGHTS TO
ST HELENA AND ASCENSION
FLIGHTS OPEN FOR SALE
Further to the announcement issued on Friday, 4 May 2018,
St Helena Government (SHG) and Airlink are pleased to ad-
vise that the additional flights to St Helena and Ascension ONLINE CHECK-IN NOW AVAILABLE
have today been loaded into booking systems and tickets
are available for sale. The flights will operate on a Tuesday. FOR PASSENGERS TRAVELLING TO
AND FROM ST HELENA
Passengers should note that flights are loaded into the sys- St Helena Airport and Airlink are pleased to announce that
tem 342 days in advance so booking systems are updated passengers travelling to and from St Helena will now be able
on a rolling basis. to check-in online via a simple check-in form.
The new online flight check-in will allow passengers to check-
Tickets are available via the Airlink website at: https:// in up to 24 hours before their flight departure time. This can
flyairlink.com/ and through all normal IATA global distribution be done by completing an online form via the Airlink website:
systems. Passengers are advised to contact their IATA travel https://www.flyairlink.com/ or the South African Airways
agent. website: https://www.flysaa.com/manage-fly/manage/check-
in/on-line-check-in.
For those passengers resident on St Helena, ticket book- Passengers departing St Helena who have taken advantage
ings can be made via Solomon & Company (St Helena) Plc’s of the new online check-in will need to do the following once
Shipping & Travel Agency at the Malabar in Jamestown. they arrive at the Airport:
Passengers can visit the Shipping & Travel Agency in person 1. Proceed to the bag drop desk and queue
or contact them via email: shipping- 2. Present your travel documents and printed boarding
travelmanager@solomons.co.sh or tel: 22523. pass to check-in staff
3. Your bags will then be weighed and once verified, taken
Airlink will continue to monitor the bookings and amend the through for screening
schedule as appropriate. 4. You will then be free to go through central search to
These additional flights mean that St Helena can now cater departures
for the anticipated demand to travel to the Island whilst Accountable Manager & Head of Operations at St Helena
benefitting Saints, visiting friends and relatives who tradition- Airport, Gwyneth Howell, said:
ally return to St Helena for Christmas. This is also a positive “St Helena is embracing travel technology. The main benefits
step for the tourism and business markets with an expecta- of online check-in for travellers are choosing seat assign-
tion that there will be an increase in visitor numbers during ment ahead of time, bypassing lines to drop off your luggage
the summer period. Passengers now have the option of three, or, if you have no luggage, you can proceed directly to the
four, seven or ten night stays (or indeed longer) on St Helena. security checkpoint. Be wise, travel smart.”
SHG, 11 May 2018 SHG, 15 May 2018
A TRIBUTE TO THE LATE OWEN A GEORGE, M.B.E.
“You can take a ‘Saint’ out of St Helena, but you can’t take St Helena out of a ‘Saint’.
Owen George was an inspirational character who enjoyed helping others in whatever way he could
and always had the interests of St Helena at heart, working tirelessly to raise the profile of his island
and its people.
He had the courage and determination to speak out in high places on St Helena’s behalf and to
remain undaunted when challenges arose. He also had compassion and genuine concern for the
vulnerable and opposed any form of injustice passionately. It was these qualities that enabled him to
lead the St Helena Association (UK) for many years and to play a key role in issues such as regain-
ing British citizenship for ‘Saints’. These are just two examples of the significant and sustained
contribution that he made.
Owen always gave 100% commitment to everything in which he was involved and was a true and
loyal friend to those privileged to work closely with him. He was not a ‘glory seeker’ and readily
acknowledged the contribution of others, but was not afraid to give constructive criticism if this was
needed!
Owen was proud of being a ‘Saint’ and St Helena should be proud of having such an admirable and
outstanding son.
The St Helena Independent Volume XIII, Issue 24, Friday 18th May 2018 5
“I don’t know what to do – we cannot pay our visa fee”
A person who desperately wants to visit St Helena was clearly · Medical insurance which covers at least GBP 500,000
in despair as the story of attempts to comply with St Helena worth of medical expenses including emergency
immigration regulations unfolded. In an email the Independ- medical evacuation (paper and electronic proof of
ent was shown this week the desperate would-be visitor insurance are accepted)
pleaded for help. If the problem is not sorted out within the · A ticket for both arrival and departure or a ticket for
next two weeks all travel tickets, hotel reservations and the arrival only if you are a St Helenian
rest, which are non-refundable, will need to be cancelled. it · A St Helena E-Visa if you are a national travelling from
is claimed this is after two months of silence from the Immi- any of the countries listed
gration Authorities. This should be fairly simple but too often it does not work out
Applying for visas to enter St Helena means applying on-line that way.
but in this instance making the payment for the visa on-line is
reported to be impossible. The St Helena e-visa system uses
PayPal and the would-be visitor has made the payment but it
has not been confirmed by the Saint Helena Government.
Despite additional emails explaining the situation and request-
ing advice and assistance the email from the desperate would-
be visitor describes total silence as the only response re-
ceived so far. The ‘authorities’ are taken to be completely
unfriendly and doing nothing to solve their own technical prob-
lem with PayPal payments for e-visas. The email ends with
a plea for help from anyone who can persuade someone some-
where in the St Helena Government to rise to the challenge
and sort out the problem.
This example of things not working properly for people at-
C’mon mate, your holding up the queue – go through!
tempting to comply with all the regulations in place for a visit
to St Helena is not the first. Various stories circulate quite
frequently but the details given are not usually substantiated. For Saints returning to St Helena the British or British Over-
Inevitably, St Helena is gaining a reputation as a difficult place seas Territories Passport is not enough. The same press
to get to, not because almost everyone has to stay one night release instructed that passports held by Saints had to be
in Johannesburg before completing the final leg of the jour- backed up with a letter, declaration or certificate proving St
ney; it’s because the bureaucracy they are required to con- Helenenian status.
form to, too often does not seem to work. If this problem is
not sorted out it could become a significant drag on eco- Some confusion must be caused by different advice given to
nomic development. holders of St Helenenian status on the e-visa website. The
1st May press release stated “you will be asked to show evi-
Various people write about St Helena on the internet, some of dence that you have St Helenian status” and “will also be
them are personal accounts of their own visit and some are required to show evidence that they have St Helenian sta-
not flattering. One such recent account was, “The St. Helena tus”. The e-visa website advises, “St. Helenian status hold-
authorities have clearly been extensively trained and they’re ers do not require a visa to travel to St. Helena however you
doing everything by the book. The immigration agent asked may be asked to provide evidence of your status at airport
me a lot of questions about where I was staying that were check in desks and/or on arrival at St. Helena border control.
difficult to answer because I didn’t have a formal reservation If you are a St. Helenian status holder, a UK or St. Helenian
from a booking agency, but rather had just arranged private issued passport is usually sufficient evidence of status how-
accommodations through the tourist office. I eventually dug ever if the passport you are travelling on was issued by an-
up the name of the person I’d worked with at the tourist office other country you should contact the immigration service in
and the immigration agent was satisfied I wouldn’t be home- St. Helena prior to travel for advice.”
less. I also told the immigration agent I was leaving on the
next flight, and she stamped me in until … the next flight. Two days after the 1st May government press release was
That’s it! Technically I could have stayed for 6 months with no published the Governor felt it necessary to publicise her own
visa, but why give someone even a day longer than needed? personal statement on this muddling issue. Governor Honan’s
They might extend their trip and spend more money!” statement opened with, “I am aware that the press release
Another writer described the rigorous questioning which hap- which was issued earlier this week has caused a lot of con-
pened in South Africa, before boarding the flight to St Helena. fusion. I am very sorry that this has happened. It was cer-
“This was also my first introduction to how many hoops that tainly not the intention ”. Her statement then went on to say
St. Helena authorities make the airline jump through. First, the confusion meant that, “Some people have been asked for
there was a thorough visa check” . . . the story goes on. documents which they do not have and, whilst the problems
In a press release issued on 1st May the St Helena Govern- have been resolved in most cases, regrettably some people
ment had obviously decided it was necessary to publicise were refused a boarding card and could not travel.” Will the
again what a visitor requires when arriving;- Visitors to St victims of this muddle ever want to come to St Helena again?
Helena will be asked to produce the following documenta-
tion: The Governor’s statement further admitted, “it has become
The St Helena Independent Volume XIII, Issue 24, Friday 18th May 2018 6
“I don’t know what to do – we cannot pay our visa fee”
clear that the guidance given to airlines is extremely com- the UK were denied visas between December and March,
plex and is causing confusion. We are working hard to re- BBC News has learned.
solve these underlying issues as quickly as possible but this
may take a few weeks. We will also be looking at whether They were denied because the number applying exceeded
the system can be simpler”. the monthly limit allowed to enter the UK. Critics argue that
the immigration policy will hamper the government’s efforts
However the next part of the Governor’s statement added to to develop a high-tech economy. The government said it was
the mounting confusion. It was stated, “In the meantime, important that employers look to recruit from the UK before
any St Helenians travelling on a British passport to St Helena looking overseas. The figures were obtained by the Campaign
(rather than a British Overseas Territory passport issued by for Science and Engineering (Case). Case’s executive direc-
St Helena) are strongly encouraged to carry documentary tor, Dr Sarah Main, said that job offers in areas where there
proof of their St Helenian status. A letter confirming St Helenian were clear shortages, such as science and engineering,
status can be obtained free of charge from either the Immi- should be exempt from the Home Office cap.
gration Office via email: emerald.newman@sainthelena.gov.sh “The tragedy is that this policy doesn’t work for anyone: the
or telephone: 22626 (00290 22626 from overseas), or from government, employers or the public,” she said. “The gov-
the Immigration desk on their departure from St Helena.” ernment repeats its mantra that Britain should be open to the
This explanation about the muddle only affecting holders of brightest and the best, and yet this policy specifically rejects
British passports is at odds with the ‘advice’ given in the 1st those people.
May email which stated, “If you are a St Helenian leaving the
Island for a short holiday, you should ensure that your British
or British Overseas Territories Citizen passport is valid for a
minimum of six months beyond the period of intended stay. .
. . and you may be asked to show evidence that you have St
Helenian status on your return journey to the Island.” So,
which is it, British passports only or British and Overseas
Territories passports? Will someone who can, please think
this whole thing through.
Meanwhile ...
back in the Mother Country
1,600 IT workers and engineers
denied UK visas
By Pallab Ghosh, BBC News 16 May 2018
More than 1,600 IT specialists and engineers offered jobs in
Three Saints Join our National Trust Marine Team
Three Saints joined Beth and Leigh in the St Helena National We’re delighted to welcome Jamie, Kenickie and Luke to our
Trust Marine Team this week after the recent batch of inter- team and are looking forward to engaging with more Saints in
views. Kenickie Andrews is working on a full-time basis and the future! #BackTheBlueBelt
both Jamie Ellick and Luke Bennett will be working 3 days/
week. Our three new Marine Assistants will have the key
function of better engaging people on the island with the ocean,
and working towards the National Trust Marine Team’s strat-
egy, which has the overall aim of championing St Helena’s
Marine Protected Area (MPA) to ensure it makes genuine
conservation gains. Within this wider plan, the three new
Marine Assistants will each have their own specific priorities
within the Marine Team’s four key work strands:
· Sustainable Fisheries
· Marine Research
· Marine Litter & Plastics
· Education and Public Engagement
Key for the Trust (and the Blue Marine Foundation who are
funding the St Helena Marine Team) is that we add value to
existing initiatives and support the ongoing work of the St Photo: (left to right): Luke Bennett, Jamie Ellick, Beth Taylor,
Helena Govt Marine Section. Leigh Morris and Kenickie Andrews
The St Helena Independent Volume XIII, Issue 24, Friday 18th May 2018 7
white handkerchief over my lips and then
Your
each afternoon.
release the smoke through the handker- One afternoon while the truck was refu-
chief, Gosh! I had a shock when I looked elling I went into the office, and saw an
at the handkerchief. old Readers Digest
Opinion
Counts
There was a thick layer of nicotine on
the handkerchief, I thought to myself all
this stuff is going down into my lungs
and, wondered what the inside of my
magazine on the desk, I glanced through
the book and there was an article –THE
WONDERS OF GIVING UP SMOKING.
All the wonderful benefits_ one can walk
lungs must look like. better, run better, breathe better and do
Dear Sir, I tried to give up smoking to no avail, I a whole lot of things much better, I
SMOKING signed sworn statements betting my thought to myself this is for me.
I started work at the Castle in 1948; there friends that I would When I got home that evening I an-
were only 9 employees in the finance give up smoking by a certain date. nounced that I was going to give up
section at that time. My bet was 10/- (ten shillings- today smoking, the occupants exploded in
Seven of them were smokers, this habit 50p), that was quite a lot of money in roars of laughter!
did not appeal to me until I was enticed those days as my salary Around 9 o clock that night I began to
to do so. was £1.10 plus £1.war bonus per month. search all of my pockets for a piece of
One day a colleague said to me” why Then in 1965; a marvellous thing hap- butt, I found a large piece and had a
not try it Clarke, its lovely and soothing” pened to me, I was then a cashier in the jolly good puff, well that was 53 years
“here take a draw”. finance department. ago the last cigarette I smoked.
And so I did I nearly brought my end gut There was no transport laid on in those I’m sure that had I continued smoking I
up and coughed and coughed for almost days and one had to walk to and from would have been dead long ago, apart
a half hour. work, at the time i from aches and pains
It was a wonderful soothing feeling and had got married and was living in New I ‘am otherwise feeling pretty good for
then I was hooked. Ground. nearly 85 years, I shall never regret the
A friend said to me one day” smoking is I got a lift home in one of the government day I gave up smoking.
very bad” he told me to take a big draw, trucks each afternoon, the lorry had to A. E. David Clarke
hold the smoke in my mouth, place a stop at the government garage to refuel
NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
A new Chief Executive for Economic ago and ever since then I’ve had a gen-
Development (CEED), Dr Dawn eral interest in the Island, and the oppor-
Cranswick, has been appointed to suc- tunities and challenges that developing
ceed Dr Niall O’Keeffe who completes enterprise within very small economies
his four-year contract with Enterprise St presents.
Helena this month and leaves the Is- “When I heard that the post of Chief Ex-
land in June. ecutive for Economic Development was
Dawn will take up her post as the lead becoming available, I knew I had to ap-
of Enterprise St Helena in mid-August ply. I’ve spent over 25 years working in
on a two-year contract. the enterprise field, from supporting indi-
As the CEED, Dawn will work closely vidual entrepreneurs to get a business
with the private sector, St Helena Gov- off the ground, and working with existing
ernment (SHG) and the Department for businesses on the challenges that growth
International Development (DFID) con- can bring, through to working with some large business that make up PNE’s
tinuing the important work to bring about very large businesses to develop enter- customer base, and delivering consul-
St Helena’s economic transformation prise within their specific regions or sec- tancy assignments (e.g. feasibility stud-
now that St Helena Airport is open and tors of interest. ies, evaluations etc). Since 2011, Dawn
operational. This includes attracting in- “I know I’ve a huge amount to learn when has also been Chief Executive of PNE
vestment from Saint and international I arrive, but I hope my experience in the Group, overseeing planning and opera-
investors, promoting tourism, farming enterprise sector is going to be a great tions, and with a seat on the Board.
and fisheries development and to lead match with St Helena.” Dawn and her husband come from a
on major economic initiatives and sup- Dawn’s early jobs have been in sales small seaside town called Whitley Bay
port policy development. The CEED’s and marketing for large private sector in the north east of England. She is
duties, through Enterprise St Helena, businesses (timber and steel). Dawn hoping to bring to the Island and Enter-
are also to help Saint businesses grow, then joined Project North East (now PNE prise St Helena enthusiasm, a passion
to up-skill Saints, and to oversee the Group) and has worked in just about for enterprise, a keenness to learn and
provision of micro-grants, loans and every section of the business from busi- understand better the challenges and
equity finance for local Saint busi- ness support, delivering business advice, opportunities from local businesses and
nesses. delivering training to business owners, entrepreneurs, and a determination to
Dawn said: and managers, undertaking research on help businesses and the Island achieve
“I’m very excited to have been appointed new and growing economic sectors, de- their ambitions.
the new CEED. I first heard about en- veloping and managing enterprise devel- SHG
terprise work on St Helena some years opment programmes for some of the very 14 May 2018
The St Helena Independent Volume XIII, Issue 24, Friday 18th May 2018 8
Your I am writing on behalf of the housewives
who have the task of making a menu
every day and although thankful for the
ally care about his precious “legacy”, in
stark contrast to the Obama-Kerry crew
so desperate to cobble together an
Opinion
Counts
variety, if the price could be lowered it
would make the taste much better. It is
understood that there are times when
there are technical problems at the Fish-
eries and they are suffering from finan-
agreement with Iran. An agreement
which was so onerous and pathetic that
the Obama administration never submit-
ted it to the Senate for ratification. An
agreement wherein the Iranians “self-in-
cial difficulties but please tell the fisher- spect” their installations, and have veto
The following acknowledgement was man to keep using those jack hooks and power over where IAEA inspectors can
sent to Mr Edward Baldwin, an “Unsung keep the market in operation. We do inspect.
Hero” of St Helena, following 23 years hope that your pay packet reflects the
as a volunteer with the Museum of St effort you are making. And by the way, While quite abrasive, and certainly no
Helena. we also like cuts from small tuna, they angel, our current president has no al-
are tasty and nice and tender. So thank legiance to the entrenched and corrupt
you fisheries for a variety of valuable pro- Washington establishment. He is cer-
tein as this group of housewives await tainly not the “complete idiot we all know
the sound of the fish van with the next him to be” as you so blithely assert.
lot of jacks and jack fillets on the district Time will tell what sort of results the
visits. We do hope that everyone in each United States policy towards North Ko-
district is having a taste of what we are rea and Iran will yield, but the previous
experiencing. trajectory was destined to spawn ram-
From a group of very satisfied house- pant nuclear weapons proliferation, both
wives. in Asia and the Persian Gulf, as the
neighbors of these belligerent dictators
Dear Mr Baldwin, tried to match the capabilities of their
Following the recent very interesting Sir, regional betes noires.
presentation in the Council Chamber by I believe that you might want to consider Respectfully,
Mr Cliff Huxtable,yesterday (3/5/2018) I brushing up on your history before un- Rick Stucker
purposely went to visit the Museum and leashing poorly reasoned and over- USA
a gentleman kindly informed me of your wrought diatribes against the foreign
valuable voluntary contributions, through policy initiatives of President Trump. Editor’s Note
various ways, to the Museum of St Firstly, he has inherited a mess in both Yes, I have to admit I got it wrong. In
Helena. I am sure, like me, there are North Korea and Iran vis-à-vis nuclear last week’s editorial I suggested Kim
many other Saint Helenians, on-Island weapon development. Administrations of Jong-un was indulging in gesture poli-
and abroad, who are not aware, or not both parties, or perhaps more correctly tics to entice Trump into his spider’s web
fully aware, of the exceptional level of the uniparty, have fecklessly attempted but when the negotiations get underway
time and effort you have contributed to- to bribe and appease these rogue re- the North Koreans would put Trump
wards protecting, preserving and pro- gimes into abandoning their nuclear “through the mill a dozen times”. Next
moting our heritage. Thanks to your ambitions for at least three decades. month’s negotiation are now in doubt as
timely hard work in the past and your Following the lead of Neville Chamber- the North Koreans switch from being
special personal contributions, St lain has predictably led to similar results. sweet and innocent to obstructive and
Helena now already has a Museum that You ask what the North Koreans have awkward earlier than I thought.
will be essential to the development of done other than change their clocks and
our tourist industry. participated in the Winter Olympics
I will take this opportunity to thank you
on behalf of the people of St Helena.
since President Trump has begun call-
ing their bluff. After firing one missile over
For Sale
Kind regards
Cyril Leo (Cllr)
Japan in 2016, and two over Japan in
2017, there have been no further flights
is a Peugeot 206
since 15 September 2017. During that GTi Hatchback,
same time period, they tested three
atomic weapons, one of which was al- two
Dear Editor, leged to be a thermonuclear device. The
I would like through your paper to ex- last underground test was 3 September door, Registration
press our gratefulness to the fisheries 2017. While there is considerable doubt
and all concerned for adding variety to what sort of accord might be reached in number 1758,
the fresh fish being supplied to the dis- the upcoming summit in Singapore, and
tricts of St. Helena. It is difficult some- while I would trust the North Korean lead- if interested
times to decide what to cook from a cut ers as far as I could throw them, your
of tuna; therefore it is a nice treat to get facile dismissal of the effort is quite pe- please call 67147,
ground fish such as jacks on the coun- dantic. I have no doubt that President
try run from the fish van. Please keep Trump will walk away if no real, verifiable 54109 or 23712
the jacks coming our way. progress can be made. He doesn’t re-
The St Helena Independent Volume XIII, Issue 24, Friday 18th May 2018 9
For the second time in two weeks St Helena’s ‘most significant visitor’ to fly here, Andrew Mitchell MP, has written an
article about our Island’s need for more support in the transition to a tourism economy. This time in the
UK Daily Telegraph newspaper.
St Helena’s airport is no white elephant – it’s a jewel of the Atlantic
piece. The French, fascinated by Napoleon’s life and death
there, will flock to see the extraordinary heritage. The poten-
tial the sea offers – fishing, diving, snorkelling and sailing – is
enhanced further by the chance to swim among whale sharks,
the gentlest giants of the ocean. I look forward to St Helena
launching many other imaginative attractions, including the
seven great St Helena Walks among its steep volcanic hills,
green mountains and impossibly beautiful valleys.
Britain’s remote overseas territory needs more support
to stand by itself
St Helena is famous as the place where Napoleon was incar-
cerated after the Battle of Waterloo. Chosen for its remote-
ness, the island was ringed by British warships fearful of their
captive’s escape. It has served our country well ever since,
including as a staging post for the Royal Navy in the South
Atlantic for many years. Now the Saints, as the Brits who
live there are known, have a real chance to transform their
island.
Plans to build an airport on St Helena finally came to fruition
under the Coalition. I agreed, as the Cabinet minister respon-
sible for the Department for International Development (DfID),
that this £286 million project would proceed. The ex- The oldest living creature on earth, Jonathan the tortoise, lives
pert advice indicated that British taxpayers would save money at the governor’s residence. At 186 years old, he was born
as a result over the long term, and that the island would en- shortly after Napoleon’s death. Encouragingly for one of his
joy new economic opportunities, particularly in tourism. great age, he is still enjoying regular sex, which he accom-
The airport was built on time and on budget – a remarkable plishes with considerable noise, skill and at a commendably
feat of engineering. Last month I visited St Helena to see for slow pace. When he dies, he will receive a state funeral, will
myself the island’s potential. I am the first MP to do so in 10 then be stuffed and his shell will reside in the National History
years, taking three weeks to get there and back by ship, Museum in London.
until now the only means of reaching it. Two immediate issues must be addressed for St Helena’s
future to be secure. Firstly, the Saints must remove all barri-
The popular belief in the UK is that St Helena’s airport is a ers to private investment. But DfID must not stand by and
white elephant – unusable by aircraft and lost in the vast- allow its huge investment to fail through a reluctance to make
ness of the South Atlantic. This proves the adage that a lie is further low level funding available. Taxpayers’ money must
halfway around the world before the truth has put her boots complete infrastructure and renewable energy projects, which
on. are essential if the full benefit of the airport is to be secured.
In the last six months, 60 private jets have landed on the It is astonishing that the island has been without a capital
island without problem and 15 medical flights have been ena- programme from DfID for over a year at such a critical time.
bled with life-saving consequences. In the past six months But the proposed spending of £6 million of taxpayers’ money
just two commercial flights have been delayed. A second on a new prison is ridiculous (there are only 10 prisoners on
weekly flight is likely to start shortly and private sector inter- St Helena).
ests are determined that a third from Europe must begin soon Above all it is the tricky equation of increasing flights to the
for the island’s full potential to be realised. island balanced by the growth in tourism and hospitality
St Helena is just about the remotest place on earth. A com- capacity that is essential. The next governor should come
munity of more than 4,000 British citizens live there amid from the private sector. An entrepreneur with a record of build-
ancient colonial architecture and breathtaking scenery pre- ing businesses should follow the current Governor, Lisa
sided over by a British governor ensconced in the splendour Phillips, who has served the island so well. The next governor
of Plantation House. Thanks to the airport, St Helena faces will live in one of the nicest government houses in the world.
an exciting future and, as capacity increases, will become Possessing a private jet would be an advantage.
the go-to destination for intrepid travellers. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/05/14/st-helenas-air-
The newly converted Mantis hotel in Jamestown is a master- port-no-white-elephant-jewel-atlantic/
The St Helena Independent Volume XIII, Issue 24, Friday 18th May 2018 10EXCO REPORT - TUESDAY 15 MAY 2018
Executive Council met today with two items on the Open in the Ordinance which regulates a Children’s Home under
Agenda, both relating to the Welfare of Children Regulations the control of the Directorate and that the amended Regula-
2018. tions now provide procedures and standards to address this
For the first item, Members were asked to consider and rec- omission. Council was happy to approve the Regulations for
ommend for enactment an amendment to the Regulations enactment.
which provides a statutory basis for the appointment of a Under Any Other Business, Members were given an update
Children’s Champion, a role which is currently carried out on regarding the ongoing work to find a service provider for air-
an informal basis. Members were happy to approve the amend- mail coming to and from St Helena through South Africa.
ment to the Regulations and to recommend enactment. At Progress has been difficult although a possible solution has
the same time, Members also approved the Terms of Refer- now been found with a vendor willing to assist with providing
ence for the Children’s Champion. It was noted that the cur- the service. It is hoped this option can be finalised soon.
rent Children’s Champion will continue to operate in an infor- Members also raised concerns under the Closed Agenda re-
mal capacity until the Social and Community Development garding the issues experienced with transhipment of contain-
Committee confirms the statutory role at their next meeting. ers from the UK and were informed that options to address
Council then considered the second item, where Members these issues were being pursued with the Service Provider.
were asked to consider and recommend for enactment the The meeting closed at 11.50am.
Welfare of Children, Children’s Residential Home Regulations ExCo
2018. Members noted that currently there are no provisions 15 May 2018
‘SAINTS TOGETHER’ COMMUNITY HEALTH CAMPAIGN
The Health Directorate will officially launch a community cam- other work will make the easy healthy choices a reality and
paign called ‘Saints Together’ on Monday, 21 May 2018 (St the campaign will help signpost people to what these healthy
Helena’s Day). options are.
This campaign was designed locally by the residents of St For example in July you will see it in shops to highlight drink
Helena, and is based on what they want for the health of all choices and swaps that can make a big difference to your
the people who live on St Helena Island. sugar intake and your risk of diabetes and heart disease.
The campaign will support the work under the Health Promo-
tion Strategic Framework that will engage and bring together In June and July also you will see it to encourage smokers to
the efforts of different parts of the community to make healthy think about ways to quit smoking and to show what some
choices easier for people to do and fit into daily life. The cam- support options to do this are.
paign will be seen across different initiatives. You will see the ‘Saints Together’ logo as part of initiatives to
strengthen opportunities for people to fit some activity into
Therefore, where you see this heart symbol and ‘Saints To- daily life.
gether’, means this will be an opportunity for you, your fam-
ily, and all of us to make a small change and together achieve Everyone in our community is urged to engage with the cam-
big things for our health. paign and to be part of making a positive change so that our
community members can live their lives to the full.
‘Saints Together’ was the name that community members SHG
themselves suggested for the campaign as they felt that this 15 May 2018
was something that we need to do together and achieve to-
gether. The great sense of identity as Saints and our sense
of community were big advantages that they felt would help
us all in making the changes needed.
Another important thing that community members felt was
that our life here on St Helena offers a lot of freedom, in our
landscape, and in our community life. Yet because of ill health
and because some issues like being overweight or smoking
limit what we can do or how we feel, community members
thought we need to take the right kind of steps so that Saints
can be fully ‘free’ and make the most of the life we have on
the Island.
People who took part in the community workshops to design
the campaign suggested the Heart symbol because they love
being Saints, and love our community, and want the ‘Saints
Together’ campaign to help local people feel better and be
well.
The campaign is just the most visual part of the work being
done in the community to make healthy choices easier. The
The St Helena Independent Volume XIII, Issue 24, Friday 18th May 2018 11PROVISIONAL REGISTER OF ELECTORS
OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE AMENDMENTS
The Provisional Register of Electors was published on Thursday, 10 May 2018.
Eligible persons now have up until next Thursday, 24 May 2018, to make application to amend the Register.
Persons who are eligible to have their names entered in the Register may apply to amend the Provisional Register to add
or remove their name, remove the name of someone who has died or left the Island or who might be ineligible for inclusion
in the Register, change an address or electoral district in which he/she will be allowed to vote or correct any other error.
Persons eligible to be registered must:
· Have St Helenian Status as defined in the Immigration Ordinance, 2011
· Be 17 years of age or older with St Helena as their ordinary place of residence
There are some exceptions, such as mental incapacity or someone serving a prison sentence of 12 months or more.
Spouses or life partners who do not have St Helenian Status whose names were included on the Register that was
published in July 2017, will be protected by virtue of the transitional provision that was included in the Elections (Amend-
ment) Ordinance, 2017. This protection will remain in place until 30 June 2020 provided that the person concerned contin-
ues to comply with the other requirements of the Elections Ordinance.
The Register is available on the SHG website via the following link: http://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/government-gazettes/
(please scroll down to the Extraordinary Gazettes section).
Hard copies have also been placed at the following locations:
· Customer Service Centre, Jamestown
· Public Library, Jamestown
· ENRD Offices, Scotland
· Rural sub Post Offices
Copies are also held by the Assistant Registration Officer at the Castle, Jamestown, and by Assistant Registration Officers
in the different electoral districts as follows:
St Paul’s Half Tree Hollow
Alfreda Yon Michelle Yon
Jackie Moyce Karen Yon
Connie Johnson
Jamestown
Alicia Thomas Levelwood
Douglas Bennett Pamela Joshua
Robert Essex Ronald Coleman
Olive Williams
Blue Hill
Alarm Forest Stedson Francis
Jane Augustus Elizabeth March
Brenda Thomas Georgina Young
Sandy Bay Longwood
Anita Legg Christina Henry
Phyllis Coleman Paula Moyce
The Assistant Registration Officer at the office of the Administrator, Ascension Island, will also hold a copy.
Applications using the prescribed form ‘A’ must be submitted to the Assistant Registration Officer, at the Castle by no
later than 4pm on Thursday, 24 May 2018. Form ‘A’ is available on the SHG website: http://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/
forms/ Copies are also available at the above locations.
Further information about registering and making amendments may be obtained from Registration Officer, Gillian Francis,
at the Castle on tel: 22470 or via email: gillian.francis@sainthelena.gov.sh
The final Register of Electors for the year commencing 1 July 2018 will be published in June.
If your name is not on the Register of Electors you will not be able to stand or vote in any Bye-Election or General Election.
It is therefore your responsibility to check the Provisional Register and to make application to have your name included if it
is not already listed.
#StHelena #ProvisionalRegisterOfElectors
https://www.facebook.com/StHelenaGovt/
https://twitter.com/StHelenaGovt
SHG
14 May 2018
The St Helena Independent Volume XIII, Issue 24, Friday 18th May 2018 12New Horizons
St Helena’s Day 2018
Join the celebrations on the Grand Parade
Monday 21st May, From 10am-10pm
10am - Traditional Parade and Service
Followed by Saints Together Campaign
and 7 Wonders Reveal
11am - 3k Fun Run
11:30am
11 -Jacobs Ladder Challenge
1pm - Float Parade
4pm - Novelty Sports
Throughout the Day
Side Shows and Stalls
Live Music Entertainment
Hot Food on Sale & Cash Bars
Float Theme:
The Good Ole Days
Choose a decade that depicts the
Good Times on St Helena.
Float entries to Tina on 22034. Prize for the best float
Stalls cost £5. If you would like a stall for the day call Tina on 22034
Entrance Fee: £1 for Adults (16+)
50p for 15 years and under
The St Helena Independent Volume XIII, Issue 24, Friday 18th May 2018 13VACANCY
Teller/Operations Assistant
£7428 pa
Bank of St Helena Limited is seeking to recruit a suitable person to fill the vacant position of
Teller/Operations Assistant. This position will incur significant contact with the Public and other
Bank staff. The successful candidate must be flexible, demonstrate courtesy and provide
excellent customer service at all times. They must have a keen eye for detail, exhibit high
accuracy levels and have the ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines, whilst working
well with others as part of the wider Bank Team.
The main duties of the post include:
x Undertaking counter transactions for customers and posting these to the Bank’s
computer system;
x Cash handling and assisting customers in meeting their banking needs and queries;
x Providing assistance in the delivery of Remote Banking services;
x Assisting in the Operations/Compliance section with the checking of daily work and any
other Duties.
Bank of St Helena Limited also offers an excellent staff benefits package.
Interested persons can contact Lilian Andrews, Teller Supervisor on 22390 or Merle Peters,
Human Resources & Customer Services Manager on 22102 for more information.
An application form and a job profile is available upon request from the Bank.
Completed application forms should be addressed to Miss Merle Peters, Human
Resources & Customer Services Manager, Market Street, Jamestown or emailed to
hr.csm@sainthelenabank.com
Closing date for applications is Friday, 01 June 2018
Head Office: Market Street · Jamestown · St Helena Island · STHL 1ZZ
T. +290 22390 · F. +290 22553 · email. info@sainthelenabank.com · web www.sainthelenabank.com
Established and regulated under the Financial Services Ordinance, 2008, the Financial Services Regulations, 2017 and the Company Ordinance, 2004
The St Helena Independent Volume XIII, Issue 24, Friday 18th May 2018 14Enterprise St Helena is seeking to employ a suitably qualified and experienced individual to be responsible to the Private Sector
Development Manager for the co-ordinaƟon of Project Programme acƟviƟes which support local Private Sector Development, including the
provision of a high standard of informaƟon, advisory and client support services to current and potenƟal businesses within the Island of St
Helena.
Suitable candidates would preferably have the following qualificaƟons, skills and experience:
x Must have a formal business or development related qualificaƟon
x Experience with private sector development and/or involvement in a similar environment
A copy of the Terms of Reference and an applicaƟon form can be obtained via email or collected from the Enterprise St Helena Oĸce at
Ladder Hill Business Park. Completed applicaƟon forms should be submiƩed to the HR and AdministraƟon Manager, Enterprise St Helena,
Ladder Hill Business Park by no later than close of business Friday, 1 June 2018.
For further informaƟon please contact: Marilyn Caswell, HR and AdministraƟon Manager on
telephone number 22920 or email Marilyn.Caswell@esh.co.sh
Enabling Tourism and Economic Growth Head Oƥce | ESH Business Park | Ladder Hill | Tel: +290 22920 | Fax: +290 22166 | Email: info@esh.co.sh
Visit us online Business and Investment: www.investinsthelena.com | Tourism: www.sthelenatourism.com
Enterprise St Helena is seeking to employ a suitably qualified and experienced individual to be responsible to the Director of Commercial
Development and Enterprise for the operaƟonal management of the local Private Sector Development FuncƟon, including the provision of
a high standard on informaƟon, advisory and client support services to current and potenƟal businesses within the island.
Suitable candidates would preferably have the following qualificaƟons, skills and experience:
x Must have a relevant Business and/ or Development qualificaƟon
x Strong leadership, moƟvaƟonal and communicaƟon skills and experience
x Must have at least 3 years experience at management level
A copy of the Terms of Reference and an applicaƟon form can be obtained via email or collected from the Enterprise St Helena Oĸce at
Ladder Hill Business Park. Completed applicaƟon forms should be submiƩed to the HR and AdministraƟon Manager, Enterprise St Helena,
Ladder Hill Business Park by no later than close of business Friday 1 June 2018.
For further informaƟon please contact: Marilyn Caswell, HR and AdministraƟon Manager on
telephone number 22920 or email Marilyn.Caswell@esh.co.sh
Enabling Tourism and Economic Growth Head Oƥce | ESH Business Park | Ladder Hill | Tel: +290 22920 | Fax: +290 22166 | Email: info@esh.co.sh
Visit us online Business and Investment: www.investinsthelena.com | Tourism: www.sthelenatourism.com
The St Helena Independent Volume XIII, Issue 24, Friday 18th May 2018 15You can also read
