Justin Latif 
After last weekend’s Bledisloe Cup match, Justin Latif asks why we’ve fallen out of love with drop kicking. October 6, 2007 was truly one of the darkest days of my life. To many New Zealand sports fans, just hearing the words “two thousand and seven” elicits cold sweats and furrowed brows. If you’re unsure what … Read more
Barber Peleti Oli-Alainu’uese has lost his brother to suicide and been a victim of physical and sexual abuse, but he’s now using his story to inspire others to tackle their own issues. Content warning: This piece includes discussion of suicide and sexual abuse “Barbering saved my life,” says Peleti Oli-Alainu’uese. He might be Hastings’ first … Read more
Covid has highlighted South Auckland’s potential vulnerability to a health crisis, so what are our politicians promising to do about the region’s ongoing problems? Updated with statistics minister James Shaw’s comments. Mary* is a GP in South Auckland. She’s on the frontline, helping those with often complex health issues in one of New Zealand’s most … Read more
With Judith Collins foregrounding her religious faith in recent days, Justin Latif talks to candidates of faith in the most Christian electorate in the country, attends an event for first-time Christian voters and hears from experts on the intersection of religion and New Zealand politics. On a bright Sunday morning in central Auckland, before casting … Read more
Voting is under way in the New Zealand general election. Explore the main parties’ pledges at Policy.nz, but here’s a whistle-stop tour of what’s on offer in the world of housing. Read more two-minute policy wraps here American abolitionist Henry David Thoreau once wrote that the sign of an advanced society was that “it has produced … Read more
Thousands of new houses are set to be built in South Auckland over the next 10 years, but the gentrifying impact of this influx of new residents is raising concerns in the existing communities. As Liz Filimoemaka crossed the bridge between her predominantly state housing community and a newly established development in Wiri, she noticed … Read more
An Auckland iwi whose population and land holdings were decimated during the New Zealand Wars is partnering with the Auckland Council’s development arm to ensure its stories are being heard – and a new playground plays a starring role. Note: This article uses the iwi’s preferred spelling of Takaanini. A new playground for South Auckland … Read more
The Rawiri Community House, nestled between the Auckland suburbs of Manukau and Manurewa, helps hundreds of families with food and other essential services each week. It’s kept going thanks to an unlikely friendship forged in the struggle to help those doing it toughest. My interview at the Rawiri Community House in Rata Vine, with Liz … Read more
The charity running the Māngere Markets makes close to half a million a year from a business centred on a publicly owned carpark, but distributes less than a third of its income in grants. That’s left some locals wondering whether the trust could be doing more to support the community, writes Justin Latif. Nothing quite … Read more
As much of Auckland Council grapples with slashed budgets, one department has avoided major cuts and is enticing investment into South and West Auckland, Justin Latif reports. Covid came at just the worst time for Geoff McKay. The Māngere-based concreter had his van and all his tools stolen a week prior to the lockdown and, … Read more
E-commerce market Konei is showcasing local entrepreneurs, including a Māori-Sāmoan collaboration that combines te reo, coffee and chocolate into a delicious learning experience. He kawhe māu? Aē, koa! (Want a coffee? Yes, please!) Enjoying a coffee with a dollop of te reo just got a bit easier this week thanks to a pair of South … Read more
Can the inspirational rise of Tonga’s rugby league team encourage a love of reading in Pacific kids? The authors of a new book hope so. What started as an effort to help reduce suicides among Tongan youth has led ‘Alisi Tatafu to write a book, aimed at younger readers, chronicling the miraculous rise of the … Read more
Counties Manukau DHB, home to Middlemore Hospital, may have missed out on $300 million in funding over the last decade, according to documents released to The Spinoff. This article has been updated to include a response from Statistics New Zealand. “It’s like a resort, compared to Middlemore.” This isn’t a review on Trivago. Rather it’s a … Read more
Covid-19 has changed how all families grieve, but for Pasifika and Māori whānau, it’s disrupted centuries-old traditions, as well as affecting how these families affirm their cultural identity. When a Samoan dies, the home of the deceased will become the focal point for their community for a two- to three-week period. It’s not uncommon for … Read more
Businesses and community organisations in South Auckland are already finding themselves stretched thin – and warn the worst is yet to come. Māngere businesswoman Toni Helleur employs up to nine people providing corporate massage services across Auckland. But since April, she’s only had one month of income, and following this latest resurgence, the future isn’t … Read more
The region is known to lack many of the advantages of central and north Auckland suburbs, yet properties command rents as high as the likes of Mt Albert and Ōnehunga. So how do landlords get away with charging so much, Justin Latif asks. If you write the words “is South Auckland” into Google, the first … Read more
The prime minister spoke to South Auckland and Pasifika media this afternoon. Justin Latif reports. Jacinda Ardern has paid tribute to the South Auckland family at the centre of the recent Covid-19 outbreak in Auckland, as well as the Pacific community for the way it has responded to the call to get tested. The prime … Read more
The upheaval of this latest level three lockdown has hit South Auckland hard, particularly its young people. However, as Justin Latif reports, a youth-focused social change initiative has been helping them get by, and empowering them to help their own communities. Fereni Peti began to feel sick a day after attending her Māngere East church … Read more
As racist and unfounded rumours swirl, how is the family at the centre of New Zealand’s newest Covid cluster and the wider South Auckland community responding? Justin Latif reports. A week after the announcement that members of a south Auckland household had tested positive for Covid-19, the family is getting the support it needs, according … Read more
Much has been made of digital divide, but as Justin Latif has observed in his role as a board of trustee member of Māngere Central School, schools in the area are making big strides to ensure students aren’t left behind. It’s hard to imagine what lockdown would be like without the limitless time-consuming options provided … Read more
With the extension of alert level three set to stretch many South Auckland families even further, Justin Latif reports on how organisations are preparing to help feed those most in need. Food banks across South Auckland are scrambling to get themselves ready for an expected surge in demand, following Friday’s announcement that the level three … Read more
Justin Latif takes the temperature of his community in South Auckland, ground zero for the latest Covid-19 outbreak. Following the prime minister’s announcement on Tuesday evening, my messenger app began pinging with pictures and videos of people at the supermarket. But it wasn’t panic buying that I was seeing, rather there was a sense of … Read more
Two deeply religious men are standing for Labour in South Auckland. But Justin Latif reports that their views on the abortion law reforms are very different. On a bitterly cold Friday morning, the Māngere electorate candidates’ debate heated up when the topic of abortion was raised. Following a question related to whether candidates supported the recent … Read more
There are no incumbents in the south Auckland seat of Takanini, for this is a completely new electorate. Justin Latif goes to meet some of the voters, and the fascinating bunch desperate for their support. The name of New Zealand’s newest electorate can be traced back to a prominent Te Ākitai Waiohua chief of the … Read more
South Auckland’s five local boards all face similar challenges when it comes to supporting its local residents with jobs, transport and providing places to have fun. So what are their draft plans proposing? Justin Latif finds out – and hands out some awards. Is there anything more soporific than an Auckland Council consultation document? They … Read more
Today marks one year since police evicted mana whenua and members of the Protect Ihumātao campaign from land at Ihumātao, South Auckland. Justin Latif looks back at the standoff, the eviction, and what’s happened since. Has it really been a year?! Yes it really has. On July 23 2019, police descended on Ihumātao in South … Read more
South Auckland’s multimillion-dollar bike paths set a new gold standard, but getting locals on track with council’s grand plan has proved an uphill battle. A scene from the 1962 film The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner often plays through my mind as I ride along the relatively new multimillion-dollar award-winning cycleways around Māngere. The … Read more