Finishing what his father started

Weekender
COMMUNITY
Son does the final act to reunite a tribe in Upper Mendi, SHP
Morgan Mendepo (left) presenting one of the pigs to his tribesmen to thank them for standing with his late father. – Nationalpics by REBECCA KUKU

IN 2000, a fight broke out between the Tungzup and Unjamap tribes in Southern Highlands’ Upper Mendi District.
The fight raged on for two years, claiming lives from both sides. The Tungzup tribe lost 34 lives.
In 2002, after fighting between the two tribes, the late Steven Mendepo, a self-made businessman and former politician from the Tungzup tribe, out of respect for his people who stood by him during the fight, started a compensation process within his own tribe, giving the traditional “moka” to thank families of those who lost their lives in the fight.
From 2003 to 2014, Mendepo gave “moka” to 33 clans in his tribe. In 2019, when he passed away, there was only one left.
His son, Morgan was a little boy when the fight started, growing up he watched his father giving moka to the families of the men that died.
His father told him, that even though they were tribesman, these men stood with him and fought and lost their lives and he must thank their families and apologise for the loss of their son’s life. This will strengthen our family, clans and tribe. And bring in unity.
In 2019, when Morgan lost his father, he made a promise to himself to complete what his father started and maintain the peace and unity of his Tungzip tribe.
Last month, Morgan and his siblings, following in their father’s footsteps, paid the last “moka” for a man who died fighting by their father’s side.
In total the family has paid K70,500 and 43 pigs to the families of the 30-plus men who lost their lives fighting in the 2000 tribal fight in Mendi.
Morgan said he was very young when the fight started; he did not even know why or how the fight began.
“But I want peace and unity, and as my father’s first born son, I have to complete what he started.
“Today I stand with my family and say thank you to all those who stood by my father, fought by him and died. My father was a simple man, many people called him all sorts of names, they called him “war lord” they called him this and that but to us, me and my siblings he was “dad”.”
“He wasn’t scary, he was funny, kind and had a big heart, it is because of the heart he has that he chose to pay “moka” in appreciation and also to say sorry to the families of his own tribesmen who fought and died.”
Morgan who is now a young father himself, says that he can truly appreciate his father’s quest to reunite the tribe after the battle 20 years ago.
“We are one, and we will stand united,” he said.