Southern Highlands, Papua New Guinea

Southern Highlands is a province in Papua New Guinea. Its provincial capital is the town of Mendi. According to Papua New Guinea's national 2021 census, the total population of Southern Highlands province is 927,306.

History

Separation of Hela Province

In July 2009, the Parliament of Papua New Guinea directed the creation of Hela Province from the Southern Highlands districts of Tari-Pori, Komo-Magarima, and Koroba-Kopiago. The province formally split from Southern Highlands on 17 May 2012.

Geography

Near the provincial capital of Mendi lies Lake Kutubu, which is the second largest lake in Papua New Guinea. The lake is known for its biodiversity and in particular its endemic fish species.

Mount Giluwe lies along the border between the Southern Highlands Province and the Western Highlands province. At 4,367m (14, 327ft), Mount Giluwe is the second tallest mountain in Papua New Guinea and the fifth tallest on the island of New Guinea.

Natural resources

As a region rich in energy resources, the Southern Highlands was at the centre of plans to construct a gas pipeline to pump natural gas to Queensland in north Australia. The project would have resulted in much needed revenue for Papua New Guinea, and as it was believed that the instability in the region could jeopardise the project, the national government decided to intervene by declaring a state of emergency. The move was supported by Parliament, although some criticism was leveled at the government for restricting press access to the region while the state of emergency was in force. The companies involved subsequently opted for the current PNG Gas project which has export facilities outside Port Moresby. This is operated by Esso Highlands, a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation, and was expected to begin production in 2014.

Demographics

Southern Highlands has diversely more than eight groups of people. The Kutubu Bosavi are partly of the Huli tribes and coastal, they speak Hela and the Foe Faso languages. The Erave Samberigi people also are of coastal or Papuan descent and speak their own, Poroma, Nipa and Plato speak the Nongo-Naiko dialect as of the Mendi people but in a twist of tongue. The people surrounding Mt Giluwe and Ialibu speak the Umbu-Ungu dialect while Pangia and Kagua people speak their two different languages. The Imboungu and some Ialibu people speak Kewabi languages. This shows that there are more than eight major languages and 18-24 different tribes that live in SHP. Some tribes extend all the way to the newly formed Hela province, Enga, Western Highlands Province, Gulf Province, Simbu Province and the Western Provinces. SHP is quite uniquely diverse in tribes and people of both coastal and Highlands descent living with their varying cultures and traditions passed down from generations to generations.

Cultural regions

The Southern Highlands province is divided into roughly three distinct geographic regions:

* The West includes the Southern Highlands districts of Nipa, Mendi, Lai Valley, Imbogu (lower Mendi), Hela District of Magarima, Kutubu and part of Kendep (Enga Province). This region is primarily home to speakers of dialects of the Anggal Heneng language.
* The East includes the districts of Kagua, Ialibu, Pangia and Erave. This region is primarily home to speakers of the Imbongu, Kewa, and Wiru languages.
* The Lowlands stretch across the southern part of the Southern Highlands province from the volcanic peaks of Mount Bosavi to include the oilfields of Lake Kutubu, and includes the language groups of Biami, Foe, and Fasu.

Administrative subdivisions

Districts and LLGs

There are five districts in the province and a total of twenty local level government (LLG) areas. For census purposes, the LLG areas are subdivided into wards and those into census units.

Provincial leaders

The province was governed by a decentralized provincial administration, headed by a premier, from 1978 to 1995. Following reforms taking effect that year, the national government centralized the provincial government and replaced the office of premier with that of governor. The governorship is held by the winner of the province-wide seat in the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea.

Premiers (1978–1995)

Governors (1995–present)

Members of the National Parliament

The province and each district is represented by a Member of the National Parliament. There is one provincial electorate and each district is an open electorate.

Political unrest

2006 state of emergency

On 1 August 2006, the government of Papua New Guinea declared a state of emergency in the country's Southern Highlands region. According to Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, troops were deployed to restore 'law, order and good governance' in the region, following accusations of corruption, theft and misuse of government buildings at the hands of the regional government.

2017 election dispute

William Powi's election as provincial governor was contested by his primary opponent, Pastor Bernard Peter Kaku. Kaku filed a lawsuit alleging that Powi was prematurely declared the victor after he had received a plurality, but not a majority of votes. In 2021, the National Court of Papua New Guinea ruled in favor of Kaku and suspended Powi as provincial governor until a recount could be completed. Ultimately, William Powi won re-election in 2022, before the suspension could become effective.

2022 election-related violence

During the 2022 provincial election, fighting broke out between supporters of sitting Governor William Powi and those of various regional candidates.

References

External links

Andrew Strathern and Pamela J. Stewart recordings
From the Andrew Strathern and Pamela J. Stewart Photographs and Audiorecordings. MSS 477. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego

John LeRoy photographs
from Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego

{{Authority control

Provinces of Papua New Guinea
Highlands Region