Commissioner of Police Chester Williams has joined the call of Belizeans demanding that the individual who injured Gerald Rhaburn, popularly known as Lord Rhaburn, in a hit and run incident, come forward. As we reported, the eighty-eight-year-old was exiting a taxi on Thursday night on Coney Drive when a vehicle passed by hitting the taxi door and Rhaburn. He was treated for his injuries and later released from the hospital. But are police refusing to review every available surveillance camera in the area. Rhaburn’s family accuses the department of such. ComPol Williams denied the accusation.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“That is not true. I know that I have received a complaint in that respect, and I had checked with Mr. Romero, who is the officer commanding Eastern Division, and he have assured me that they have checked the routes. They have found some footages, but the footages are not clear enough for the police to be able to identify exactly who the person or persons were in that vehicle that was involved in the hitting of Mr. Lord Rhaburn. The person who have the heart to knock down an elderly citizen is a heartless person. At the very least they ought to have stopped and see if the senior citizen was okay and have him referred to the hospital and take responsibility. You know, but when we have people who were just knocked down the elderly man or elderly woman and just drive off, then that is not a human being no more. So I would hope that the guilt is going to play on their conscience and they got to come forward and say you know what? I did it and I’m sorry. And then we can move on from there.”
Reporters also asked the Commissioner of Police for an update on the department’s investigation into Sergeant Devon Makin. He remains on duty in San Pedro and was even spotted next to ComPol Williams over the weekend at an endorsement convention for Andre Perez. Here is how the Commissioner of Police responded.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“I believe I have commented enough about that matter and I’m not going to delve any further into that matter.”
Reporter
“He’s being sued.”
Chester Williams
“Well, the person has a right to be sued. Every, almost every day we get lawsuits from people, regarding the conduct of police officers. And in some cases, we win, in some cases we lose. And we continue to do as best as we can to minimize the number of lawsuits that we do get. Mr. Jones has been extremely busy dealing with human rights training, just about use of force and harm and the like, because our objective is always to make sure that we reduce the number of complaints made by the police. And we have made significant stride in that area. And as you as a member of the media, if you wish to be honest, you can affirm the fact that you’re not getting as many complaints about police brutality as you used to get in the past. So, we just need to continue to do what we have been doing over the past two to three years to make sure that we continue to take those reports down.”
Summer vacation is coming to an end and schools across the country are already resuming classes. In preparation, teachers are gathering supplies to ensure that students return to a clean welcoming environment. To assist with the process, the Belize City Council has donated cleaning supplies to every primary school in Belize City. News Five’s Britney Gordon attended the ceremony today for more details. Here’s the story.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
For children to learn effectively, they must be in an environment that is welcoming and safe. Ensuring that schools and classrooms are clean is a crucial part of providing a well-rounded education for children. The Belize City Council is donating cleaning supplies to every primary school in the city. Mayor Bernard Wagner emphasizes the importance of a clean environment
Bernard Wagner
Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City
“Education is very important. Many times, we have seen where children are in classrooms, but we just can’t have classrooms. We have to have clean classrooms. That is why we felt it important that we provided some cleaning and sanitation supplies as well to, to some of the principals. The thirty-one schools in the Belize City area, we felt it important. It’s the second year we are undertaking this activity. But it is really a very good activity because it contributes back to cleanliness. We have been singing about cleanliness. You can’t just speak every day about classroom but the classroom noh clean. You can’t talk about that you love Belize City, but you keep Belize City horrible. You have to, we have to be leaders in this culture change that is needed in Belize City in respect of how we keep our city clean.”
The donation is equivalent to about three months’ worth of supplies. Principal of Trinity Methodist School, Jamael Campbell says that this donation takes some of the burden off the shoulders of the staff that must prepare the school for the return of one hundred and eighty students.
Jamael Campbell
Jamael Campbell, Principal. Trinity Methodist School
“As a primary school, we need the supplies here. Of course, it’s very expensive, very difficult to consume these this time of year. And so this puts us at an advantage that we don’t have to log out and use the phone to actually purchase these in the initial stages of school. So it’s very beneficial to us as a school, the students especially, who will get to benefit from this.”
The donation includes a stock of cleaning supplies, as well as school bags, funded by the council and members of the diaspora. Councilor Kaya Cattouse explains how this initiative came about.
Kaya Cattouse
Kaya Cattouse, Belize City Councilor
“This came after COVID And mostly there were cleaning supplies to ensure that the place was properly sanitized. At the time it was much needed a much needed package. And, it is still a much needed package, keeping the place clean. Clorox wipes different disinfectants school bags paper towels, things of that sort.”
The Commission of Inquiry into the sugar industry began today in Orange Walk. The six-member commission is tasked with a wide range of responsibilities outlined within its terms of reference. The objectives include measuring the efficiency of milling factories in Belize, while identifying the inefficiencies that exist. The commission is also working to assess the cost and efficiency of sugarcane cultivation, harvesting and transportation. And these are only a few of the objectives that the commission must meet. The end goal is for the commission to provide recommendations on the best approach to modernizing the industry. Today, the Belize Sugar Industries Limited was in the hot seat, taking questions from the members of the commission for the better part of the day. B.S.I. directly employs just under seven hundred individuals. According to Shawn Chavarria, the Director of Finance at the factory, they indirectly employ some ten thousand workers.
Shawn Chavarria
Shawn Chavarria, Director of Finance, ASR/BSI
“A lot of the information we have shared and also part of the initial presentations that we made when the commissioners visited in June was to highlight what BSI sees as some of the key challenges that are facing the industry. I know that from a public standpoint this is a lot of interest and scrutiny into the industry. But I think a lot of it masks what are some of the underlying issues. I think what we have tried to convey to this commission of inquiry is that for a lot of years those core issues have not been properly addressed. The reason we think it hasn’t been properly addressed is because the industry has been heavily politicized. A lot of decisions made are not based on technical facts or economics. It is really driven by political expediency and that makes sense to an extent because of the number of farmers the industry in the north supports and by extension their families. It is something that BSI for many years has had to manage. We think that because of that the industry is not where it should be. Some of the things we have highlighted that is really fundamental if this industry is to move forward and become a long standing industry, we need to address the low production. The industry in the north is really one of the lowest cane yields in the world.”
Members of the commission visited Belize earlier this year to conduct preliminary assessments of the sugar industry with various stakeholders. Today, one of the first questions the commission posed to B.S.I. representatives had to do with the low level of sugarcane productivity in Belize. The commission noted that, based on preliminary findings, the sugar industry in northern Belize has been struggling to increase yield for decades. Shawn Chavarria pointed to a lack of political support. OIivia Avilez, the Cane Farmers Relations Manager at B.S.I., referenced a need for new varieties of sugarcane, as well as overused farmlands.
Shawn Chavarria, Director of Finance, ASR/BSI
“Belize has had consultants, has had studies done to make recommendations, to see what needs to improve to ensure the industry has a long-term viable future. So, it is not for a lack of knowing what the issues are. We know what are the issues. I think the issue is that there hasn’t been the political support to ensure that these reforms, these changes are implemented. I think that has been one of the biggest obstacles to transforming the industry to where it needs to go.”
“What is the root cause of this issue? From what we have seen, one of the key areas is that we have very little replanting. The replanting is required in an industry, for example fifteen percent of your area should be replanted annually and you should not stop that because sugarcane, yes, it is a grass, very resilient grass that we can extract sugar from, but it needs to be replanted every seven years depending on the variety. Key to this is the cane varieties and BSI research project has been researching the different varieties that can be adopted here in Belize with the assistance from the Barbados Breeding Station. The cane varieties are important to be diversified. We rely on one specific variety, B-seventy-nine covers about seventy-five percent of our areas, and nothing is wrong with that variety but we cannot rely on one variety, like in the past, the cania blancita, B fifty-two was wiped out with one disease, smut.”
So, if there is a need for greater production in the sugar industry, why are farmers not investing in their farms to generate more annually? Avilez contends that sugarcane farmers are unwilling to make the investment because a profitable return is not guaranteed on that production. Avilez also called out the Sugar Cane Production Committee for reported inefficiencies.
“The farmers will not want to invest in their own way if they are not given the appropriate production. So, if they are improving productivity, they want a return. Nobody, no farmer wants to invest without gaining a return or an appropriate profit out of that. Currently, the way the industry works for production estimate is really hindering, stifling, even robbing from farmers who are producing higher than the average that SCPC is willing to give. So, one of the key deterrents or the key demotivator here from the farmer’s side is, if I improve my productivity will you be able to give me what I deserve. At the same time, it compensates farmers who are underproducing from the average. By that I mean, farmers who are producing ten tons per acre, I don’t mean small farmers, I mean certain farmers who are not investing in their fields, in their productivity they are given the average of seventeen tons so that they have seven tons to play with. While the farmer who produces twenty-five tons is also given the average of seventeen tons. And that is what demotivates farmers, when they are not given the productivity, their fields are earning.”
Global standards suggest that the time between harvesting and milling sugarcane should not exceed twenty-four hours. This is known as the “kill to mill” time. In Belize, the kill to mill time far exceeds twenty-four hours. There are reports of farmers delivering sugarcane to the mill fifteen days after burning. One commissioner referred to this as unacceptable. He asked B.S.I. what the barriers are to reducing this time. Here is how she responded.
Olivia Avilez, Cane Farmers Relations Manager
“There are several barriers, and I will give you an anecdote there. Some of our field workers this year saw canes burn for fifteen days, fifteen days and one of the key issues here is the screen testing or individual cane truck testing does not exist in our industry. As you would know from world international standards, if you cannot individually test a truck, you cannot determine payment for that specific truck or field and so the farmer is not compensated based on cane quality. No human being will do or invest and implement better practices if there is not an incentive. In our case an incentive is the cane payment. We have come from 2010 a TCTS of over twelve tons of cane to one ton of sugar to around ten. We were to eight point seven, nine TCTS which has been good. The farmers have shown generally when they work together the quality of cane can improve and the kill to mill can reduce.”
A move has been made by the Alliance for Democracy, a caucus within the United Democratic Party, to recall the leadership of Shyne Barrow. Earlier today, Albert Area Rep Tracy Panton and Second Deputy Leader Beverly Williams delivered a petition signed by as many as two hundred and eight delegates from across seventeen constituencies. The latest attempt by the Alliance is to unseat Barrow as party leader. Citing Article 9 (7) of the U.D.P. Constitution, the press release states that the party leader can be, “removed from office at any time following a petition signed by at least one-third of the registered delegates of the National Convention and a vote of at least two-thirds of the registered delegates in attendance voting at the convention”. Panton appeared as a guest on Open Your Eyes on Monday and had this to say on the matter.
Tracy Panton
Tracy Panton, Area Representative, Albert
“The Alliance has tried to remain and is committed to remaining within the framework of the constitution. We can’t be promoting the constitution and not want to respect it ourselves. Provisions within the constitution which we can use to try and get our voices heard internally, that’s the process we’re on. There will be no doubt at the end of this process that we did everything possible, within the confines of the constitution, to correct the ship, if you will. There are still provisions in the constitution that we can utilize and we have to go there if we are forced to go there. For example, there is an opportunity for a recall of the party leader. We don’t want to go there if we don’t have to go there but unless we can get a response, unless we can find a way forward, we will have to act accordingly.”
There’s a shortage of teachers at some primary schools around the country, brought on by the resignation of educators before the opening of the new school year. We have received digital copies of advertisements posted for vacancies at two primary schools. There are three scenarios that we’ve learned about that are causing the situation – teachers face a delay in receiving the history of their Continuous Professional Development. Those in remote areas also leave when they find better jobs or more convenient areas to teach. Others simply leave for teaching jobs outside of Belize. News Five’s Marion Ali has a report on the issue.
Marion Ali, Reporting
There is a shortage of schoolteachers in Belize’s education system and there are two main reasons why this is taking place. Herman Ramirez is a member of the national executive of the Catholic Primary Schools Principals Association.
Herman Ramirez
Herman Ramirez, Member, Nat’l Exec.,Catholic Primary School Principals Assn
“We had two teachers that in the last minute they sent out, you know, information that they’re actually requesting to be released, requesting to be transferred, requesting to resign, and that sort of thing. And normally this would happen, especially in the rural areas, where you have teachers commuting to teach.”
Ramirez is also the principal of our Lady of Lourdes RC School in Maskall Village. He says that there are now three vacancies for teachers, two have resigned and the third is on long leave. President of the Belize National Teachers Union, Nadia Caliz tells News Five that teachers are opting for better-paying jobs elsewhere.
Nadia Caliz
Nadia Caliz, President, BNTU
“At the secondary level, we do have a shortage when it comes to skill set. Many of the teachers don’t have the necessary content and pedagogy in the area. So, it’s hard for, for the ministry or for schools to pull these vacancies unless MOE changes its criteria. That’s for the secondary. For the primary now, the issue has to do with the fact that not only primary but secondary as well too. We have different countries who have different teacher programs. The salaries are attractive, and our teachers have decided that they want to explore those options.”
According to Caliz, teachers have also been leaving to take up jobs at call centers. For those who wish to remain in the profession, however, she lays blame on the Ministry of Education.
Nadia Caliz
“Every teacher needs to meet 120 continuous professional development hours. They must meet that. That’s a requirement for a license renewal. Some of the teachers have met that, but they have a issue is that they cannot get the certificate. The document that says you have 120 CPD hours, they apply to the Teacher Learning Institute, the TLI, and they are still waiting to get that. Without that, you are not going to be given a new license.”
Marion Ali
“That comes from where?”
Nadia Caliz
“That comes from the Ministry of Education.”
Marion Ali
“Is it an issue where teachers wait until the last minute to get this accreditation and then they find that they’re caught up in a bottleneck situation?”
Nadia Caliz
“There are a few teachers like that and they’re not the majority. And I don’t want for the impression to be given that majority of teachers are like that.”
Caliz shared a scenario where a teacher who underwent brain surgery and who was unable to complete her required number of accredited hours was denied her teachers license. She has reportedly requested an audience with Minister of Education, Francis Fonseca to discuss the problems that teachers are faced with. Meanwhile, Ramirez tells us that they have met with education officials and are waiting for the matter to be resolved. But with classes resuming on Monday, Our Lady of Lourdes, like others that have a shortage of teachers will have to carry on the best way they could.
Herman Ramirez
“We have spoken to our staff and we have said we’re going to try and reach out again, send out the advertisement to try and see if we can secure some teachers to fill the post. But in the meantime, we teachers will have to share classrooms and we will have to see what we can do to make sure that we can operate, have the children in class and have school operating as normal.”
On Monday, the Government of Belize sought to clarify information surrounding the purchase of fifteen acres of private land for use as the proposed location for the construction of a tertiary level hospital in Belmopan. While the property was bought for almost seven million dollars, the Minister of Health and Wellness told reporters that the financial transaction with businessman Kenny Zheng was completed in three instalments.
Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health & Wellness
“The government did not buy the land in just one payment. There was a down payment. It was done in three payments, actually. It’s a standard purchasing agreement, a down payment was made in June. In July, another instalment was made and then the balance was paid off. Now let me also give the rationale as to why this happened. As you know, when dealing with the IFIs and the multinationals and these loans, if you are going to construct any facility or any loan that is being had for any investment within, in the case of the hospital, the property must be under the Government of Belize. Ownership must be had. Time is also of essence and we need to ensure that the work and the project gets done. We’re not going to be, and I am saying this here because I am not going to be like the former Minister of Health who got up there, boasted, had big pump and circumstance about a thirty-million-dollar grant funding, which he ended losing, for building the hospital. We are making sure it goes through the right process and we are following the condition of the loan agreement. Minister Julius Espat was very clear in his response when it was asked of him and similarly, if you look at the road network that would have to have been invested alone, you’re talking about close to seven million dollars just in the nine-mile stretch of road. You also have to understand that in addition to that, as the technocrats at BWS have said, you’re going to have to invest another two point five million dollars in terms of getting the water and sewerage system in place.”
