July 12, 2024 - Channel 5 Belize

MOHW Condemns ‘Self-made Journalist’ for ‘Disruptive Behavior’

The Minister of Health and Wellness has strongly criticized “self-made journalist” Joseph “Ryan” Budna for his ‘disruptive behavior’ at Corozal Community Hospital on Thursday evening.

The ministry said, “Budna’s actions, which included placing a camera in the face of the Acting Chief of Staff and disrupting vital medical services, are deeply concerning and unacceptable.”

Budna allegedly disrupted medical services and caused a disturbance.

A livestream on Budna’s Facebook platform appeared to show a heated confrontation between Budna and Dr. Rafael Riverol, the Acting Chief of Staff, in the presence of policemen, during which Dr. Riverol allegedly assaulted Budna. Budna said he will press charges.

The Ministry said, “It has come to our attention that Mr. Joseph “Ryan” Budna, who claims to be a self-made journalist, recently engaged in highly inappropriate behavior at the Corozal Community Hospital.”

The Ministry further said, “While we acknowledge the valuable role that journalism plays in our society, it is imperative that this role is carried out with integrity, respect, and adherence to professional standards… The Ministry of Health and Wellness has a duty to protect our staff from any form of harassment or harm, whether it comes from criminal elements or individuals masquerading as journalists. Our healthcare workers are on the front lines, tirelessly serving the community, and they deserve a safe and respectful working environment.”

Budna, in response, has released video footage alleging the mistreatment by the hospital’s Acting Chief of Staff and accusing the Ministry of not holding Dr. Riverol accountable for his actions.

Woman Raped in front of Patrick Faber’s Office; He Denies Family’s Request for Security Footage and Cites Safety Concern

Collet Area Representative Patrick Faber says a woman was raped in front of his office sometime in the morning last week. Faber shared this when he spoke of public safety and the use of technology to fight crime during the adjournment of the Sitting of the House of Representatives on Thursday in Belmopan. He said, “A resident of my constituency got raped right in front of my office in the wee hours of the morning last week. The police camera is right up there.”

According to Faber, family members asked him for video footage his cameras captured. He denied their request. “The family came if I could lend them, if I could give them the footage from my office. No sir, because I’m not getting any quarrel with the people in that area about snitching.

Faber not only expressed his own fear of reporting crime but also criticised both the current Briceno Administration and the previous administration under Dean Barrow for failing to provide the security that citizens in Belize desperately need.

Faber stated, “I’ve always been amazed by the Ministers of National Security or those responsible for the police, even under the UDP administration. It’s absurd to say that crime rates were here, here, and here under the UDP and now under the PUP, murders are here… On the streets and in people’s minds, there is a major concern about security. So, your commissioner can present all the fancy statistics, saying this is down and that is down, but even under the UDP, I felt the same way. Nobody wants to hear that. People want to know they are safe. So your justification that ‘it’s not as bad as when the UDP was in power’ doesn’t help.”

Faber continued, “The Leader of the Opposition is right when he says both administrations need to get serious about promises like DNA testing….All you do is boast about the job you and your commissioner are doing, but that doesn’t resonate with the people because we do not feel safe. It is your responsibility. You publicly declared that solving the problem is simple and easy. You did that, and the record will show it.”

World’s Most Endangered Language Now Spoken by Only One Person

N|uu, a language that has been around for over 20,000 years, is now at risk of extinction, with only one fluent speaker remaining—Ouma Katrina Esau. As a young girl in South Africa’s Northern Cape, Esau stopped speaking N|uu after being mocked and told it was an “ugly language.” Now, at the age of 90, she is the last known speaker of N|uu, a language nearly eradicated by the impacts of colonialism and apartheid.

N|uu, pronounced with a clicking sound between the ‘N’ and the ‘uu’, is the most endangered language in the world. It originated from the ǂKhomani people of the southern Kalahari, an area on the modern-day borders of Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. The language has little written history due to its oral tradition and the violent suppression by the British Empire during the colonization of Africa in the 19th century.

The language went underground as people were beaten and even killed for using it, until the 1990s when Dr. Nigel Crawhall, a sociolinguist, and the United Nations initiated efforts to revive it. Initially, 25 people claimed fluency in N|uu, but by December 2021, only Esau remained.

Dr. Kerry Jones, a linguist and director of African Tongue, a professional linguistic consultancy working with contemporary speakers of endangered languages in southern Africa, highlighted the historical significance of the language. She explained that the 1990s marked a turning point when people began to feel safe to come forward and reveal their true identities and languages.

Esau recalled the challenges of her youth, stating, “We became ashamed when we were young girls, and we stopped speaking the language.” Instead, she spoke Afrikaans, the language promoted by South Africa’s white minority rulers.