Safata still waiting: Compensation bill gets bigger as communities told to 'be patient'

Nearly 20 months after HMNZS Manawanui sank off the Safata coast, thousands of affected families are still waiting for compensation.

This is despite New Zealand paying a $ST10 million (NZ$6m) settlement to the Sāmoan government more than a year ago.

New figures show the number of people identified to receive compensation has grown to 10,457, raising fresh questions about when payments will be made and whether the settlement fund will be enough.

At ST$1100 (NZ$680) per person, the total payout would be about ST$11.5 million (NZ$7.2m); more than the ST$10 million (NZ$6m) settlement itself.

It remains unclear how the government plans to address the shortfall.

Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt said payments could be made within weeks.

PM Laaulialemalietoa told Parliament on Tuesday that ST$10m was the start of compensation for Sāmoa. Photo/Parliament of Sāmoa

"Have patience. Maybe another two or three weeks everyone will get their money," he said.

Laaulialemalietoa confirmed Safata has been prioritised for the ST$10m payout, with the neighbouring Siumu district to be processed separately.

"The advice from those in government who are responsible for the distribution of the fund is to prioritise Safata for the ST$10 million payout. Then the money for Siumu can be applied for," he said.

Watch (Sāmoan) PM Laaulialemalietoa's statement on the Manawanui payment in Parliament below.

Meanwhile, residents say they are still waiting.

"At the moment, no one has received any money," Luluvita Kolio told the Sāmoa Observer on 8 June.

"We are still waiting, even though we've already signed the agreement and were told to check our cards. So far, there's still nothing."

The revised recipient count was confirmed by Ministry of Works and Infrastructure Chief Executive, Fui Tupa'i Mau Simanu, at a press conference on Monday.

The original estimate was 8989 recipients.

Fui said a committee is now verifying the final beneficiary list and preparing memoranda of understanding (MOUs), which are required because some recipients are infants or do not have bank accounts.

Chief Executive of Works, Transport and Infrastructure, Fui Tupai Mau Simanu. Photo/MWTI

“Under the MOU arrangement, one family member signs on behalf of the others and sometimes that might be five to seven other people,” he said.

Of the 1225 MOUs prepared so far, 957 have been signed. A total of 746 have been sent to the Ministry of Finance, covering more than 6000 people.

Fui said the Ministry of Finance is responsible for releasing the funds once the documents are verified.

Former Safata II MP Tuia Logoiai Pu'a Leota told PMN News no timeframe has been given for when payments will arrive.

"We believe that the distribution is at the MOF, who are responsible for depositing the money into the accounts of all qualified recipients of our district," he said.

His comments came after he rejected claims on social media that he was responsible for delays, saying the authority to distribute the money rests with the government.

Tuia Paepae Leota resigned from parliament in May in order to re-contest the Safata II seat under the Faatuatua i le Atua Sāmoa ua Tasi party. Photo/Parliament of Sāmoa.

PMN News contacted the Ministry of Finance to confirm its role in the process, the reasons for the delay and when payments are expected to begin. No response had been received by publication.

The compensation process has stretched over several months.

The Manawanui grounded off the Tafitoala Reef in October 2024. New Zealand paid the ST$10m (NZ$6m) settlement in May 2025.

In December 2025, Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa announced the full amount would be distributed directly to affected families.

The payment rate of ST$1100 (NZ$680) per person was confirmed in April this year with MOU signing beginning later that month.

Questions are also growing over whether the settlement is final and large enough.

PM Luxon said during a visit to Sāmoa in March that the NZ$6m payment was a full and final settlement. Photo/Government of Sāmoa

Laaulialemalietoa told Parliament the ST$10m was "the start of New Zealand's compensation for us," and said discussions between Apia and Wellington were still ongoing across multiple claims.

"There are ongoing discussions right now, between the heads of government agencies and the government of New Zealand. There isn't just one claim," the prime minister said.

That position contrasts with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who said during a visit to Apia in March that the NZ$6m payment was a full and final settlement.

Former New Zealand Attorney-General Chris Finlayson recently described the NZ$6m payment as "a derisory sum", comparing it with the NZ$27.6m Aotearoa received after the MV Rena grounding off Motiti Island in 2012.

"That was a grade-A cock-up," Finlayson said on the Cross Party Lines podcast, "and really, Sāmoa deserved a lot more than what it got from the New Zealand government.

“It's part of a pattern that I suppose goes back many years, where we just do not treat the Samoans particularly well."

In March, the New Zealand Navy announced court-martial proceedings against three officers over the grounding, with charges linked to the command and operation of the vessel.

For families in Safata, the immediate concern is simple: nearly two years after the sinking, the compensation promised to them has yet to arrive.