www.sams.sh THE South Atlantic Media Services, Ltd. Vol. 9,SENTINEL Issue 10 - Price: £1 “serving St Helena and her community worldwide” Thursday 27 May 2021 St Helena celebrates Cultural Diversity on St Helena’s Day Proposals to allow wealthy people purchase Permanent Residency “well received” say SHG The Global Saint Community New Burial Ground identified for Map by Saint Cooks “Liberated Africans” 2 www.sams.sh Thursday 27 May 2021 | THE SENTINEL THE SENTINEL | Thursday 27 May 2021 www.sams.sh 3 OPINION YOUR LETTERS ST HELENA NEWS SENTINEL Quiet Magistrate’s Court £2m under spend in SHG budget session predicted COMMENT Andrew Turner, SAMS Andrew Turner, SAMS Andrew Turner, SAMS overseas medical referral budget St Helena’s future is now resting and the TC budget not being fully in the hands of the UK Governments utilised. Privy Council who will decide on There was also an over collection the constitutional amendments of customs duties and an under needed to change St Helena from its collection in revenue in the Children current system of Governance to the and Adults Social Care Directorate Ministerial System. of £54k because fewer individuals Amendments to St Helena’s are eligible/able to pay for care constitution can only be made by services. a UK Order in Council which is an Order made by the Queen acting on According to the report of the the advice of the Privy Council. meeting, “Deputy Financial But what is the Privy Council and Secretary explained that there is this really the right group to be might be further changes to the deciding our fate? It was a comparatively quiet Thomas “in a hostile manner.” SHG is predicting an under spend of £2m was indicated, which was final outturn position as year-end Essentially the Privy Council is an session of the St Helena Magistrates According to the Magistrates of £2m for this financial year. approximately £900k more than procedures and amendments are unelected group of people who advise Court on Thursday May 20th with when sentencing this was because At the latest meeting of the Finance forecast at the end of February 2021. finalised.” the Queen and dates back (in its just one case heard. Mr Thomas “considered [himself] Committee, the Deputy Financial The under spend is mostly down current format) to 1801. Secretary predicted a budget surplus do the Health Services Directorate The group act as a vehicle for Mr Patrick Thomas pled guilty responsible” for the vulnerable driving forward the UK Government’s to charges of Obstructing a Police adult in question and that he had executive acts that are then formally Officer and Racially Aggravated placed himself in the way of officers issued in the Queen’s name. Harassment. attempting to get to the adult. Most Privy Council “Orders” are Mr Thomas had contacted police in After threats of arrest, Mr Thomas What appears to be the difficulty Government decisions, drawn up by an attempt to get hold of somebody chose to go outside where a second Ministers and Civil Servants, which from the Children and Adults Social officer heard him use “a term that with reinstating a community work are then approved by the Queen. Care directorate in order to deal was inherently racist in South Members of the Privy Council are with a vulnerable adult at the Bar in African culture,” according to the hand-picked by the Queen with any scheme? which Mr Thomas works. magistrates. Cyril (Ferdie) Gunnell, SAMS joining member being required to swear an oath to “keep secret all However instead of sending Social Mr Thomas was fined a total of matters…treated of in Council” Care officers, the Police themselves £300 and ordered to pay £15 in co For some members of the done. Within a year or two Elected Secretary. He said councillors There are currently around 650 came to the bar where officers court costs. community the return of a Members under pressure from were very supportive of the Privy Counsellors. All Cabinet reported they were greeted by Mr government run scheme for their constituents asked for the scheme but it didn’t progress Ministers become members of the providing work three days in a scheme to be reintroduced but much further due to unforeseen Privy Council along with the Leader week is still an important topic. their efforts failed for various circumstances surrounding legal of the Opposition, who is also ramifications. The councillor said appointed to the Privy Council. New Tristan Population This was raised again in April reasons. Membership of the Council is for at the Longwood constituency Later, at the July 27, 2018 he and Mr Henry continuously life. figures meeting. LegCo, the Chairman of Social requested for this work scheme So to break it down we have another Councillors present said they are and Community Development to be implemented. But although unelected, hand-picked body that Andrew Turner, SAMS aware of the need for reinstating Committee (SCDC), Cllr Tony it was submitted to Corporate will be deciding the future of St a community work scheme, and Green responding to a question Human Resources it did not Helena. Once again the choice is not they can see where such work by Cllr Dr Corinda Essex, progress. in our hands but in the hands of The Tristan Island Government He believed the details of the has released new population figures would be beneficial in various agreed to give “urgent and 650 former UK government officials island districts but they seem careful consideration to the re- scheme have been captured within many of whom I’m sure would for the island. the Labour Market Strategy, There are now 243 Tristan da to be “getting nowhere” with introduction of the 3-day Work struggle to find St Helena on a map – making officials understand. Scheme, or establishment of a “however, not under the format and yet they will now have to decide Cunha Islanders with 18 Resident we proposed but through the what is best for us. Islanders are overseas. The former Employment & similar employment package, How disappointing that our Social Services Directorate ran that would enable all those who Careers Access St Helena (CASH) There also 16 other people living proposal.” democratic system will continue to on the island. This number includes a Community Work Scheme are fit to work and reliant on be decided in such an undemocratic (CWS) (often referred to as social benefits to do meaningful CASH is meant to be a one expatriate workers and their stop shop for those who are way. families and visitors. 3-day work) for many years tasks and not become de-skilled.” This still hasn’t happened. unemployed or are in need South Atlantic Media Services, Ltd., This means a grand total of 241 providing meaningful work for the unemployed until they found Cllr Russell Yon told The Sentinel of assistance when seeking The Media Centre, Castle Gardens, people currently living on Tristan da suitable jobs for themselves. In about two years ago about a employment, for instance with Jamestown, St Helena, South Atlantic Cunha or visiting the surrounding writing a CV or application. islands. March 2011 this was given up as scheme he and the Director of Ocean, STHL 1ZZ. Tel: 22727 a cost saving on the budget; not I&T, Derek Henry had presented E: [email protected], W: www.sams.sh Graph by Tristan Da Cunha Government because there wasn’t work to be to Elected Members and the Chief 4 www.sams.sh Thursday 27 May 2021 | THE SENTINEL THE SENTINEL | Thursday 27 May 2021 www.sams.sh 5 ST HELENA NEWS ST HELENA NEWS Proposals to allow wealthy people New Burial Ground identified for purchase Permanent Residency “well excavated remains of Liberated received” say SHG Andrew Turner, SAMS Africans Cyril (Ferdie) Gunnell, SAMS Now all feedback will be collated endorsement. ExCo recommended and reviewed by the Immigration “to not wait on the release of the Working Group who will make any original identified ground, but to amendments. rebury the excavated remains in The amended draft policy will the grounds known as the ‘lower then be presented to Social burial grounds’ in Rupert’s and Community Development Valley.” The lower burial ground Committee. is the stretch of land from the What are the changes? junction coming into Rupert’s The policy includes provisions for Valley from Field Road to behind a Fast-Track Residency Scheme, Mrs Eileen Wallace’s residence. which would allow “high net worth Mrs Bennett said the space in individuals” to get Permanent the lower burial ground isn’t Resident status in exchange for sufficient to include a monument. making “contributions to the SHG “We decided we wanted to keep treasury.” the monument in the original The policy will see several changes space, as we want the monument other made to Immigration on St to represent the story of the Helena including ensuring that liberated African establishment “persons in service of the Crown” in Rupert’s. The monument isn’t onsultation on the draft describes the policy as being “well and their partners/dependents will C just about the 325 excavated Immigration Policy that would received, with the majority of the no, longer be exempt from specific remains but about all who lived allow “high net-worth individuals” participants being in favour of entry controls. and moved on and those who did to purchase permanent residence the proposed amendments to the People will no longer be allowed to he excavations in Rupert’s not survive.” status in St Helena concluded on current Immigration Ordinance.” work for six months on a short term T applied for Outline Development Valley in 2008 resulted in recovery The LAAC is currently working Dec 11 2020 and SHG have issued According to SHG “A few of the entry permit and will instead need a Permission to ‘Establish a of 325 complete human skeletons with ENRD to give official a three page “consultation report” public meetings generated some full work permit and SHG will now Reburial and Memorial Site for and a significant amount of designation to the Upper and following public consultation on lively discussion” and that the be required to seek work permits to Liberated Africans on Parcel 0082 disarticulated bones.