New citizens give mayor advice

Rotorua Mayor Kevin Winters (left) is reminded by new citizen Adrian Humphreys to wear a sling for his injured shoulder. Mr Humphreys, an anaesthetist, helped with Mr Winters' shoulder reconstruction. Photo / Stephen Parker

Rotorua Mayor Kevin Winters is not often caught out twice in the same afternoon.

At the Rotorua District Council citizenship ceremony yesterday Mr Winters' attempt to explain a recent shoulder reconstruction almost proved his undoing.

Mr Winters said the operation - a result of falling off his bike - had left him able to use only one arm but this would not hinder him welcoming new citizens to the city on behalf of the council.

"I should have my arm in a sling but I have decided because of the ceremony I will ignore doctors' orders and not wear it," he told the 27 new citizens and their families.

But he was left stunned when he welcomed British-born Adrian Humphreys as a new citizen.

Mr Humphreys revealed he was an anaesthetic technician.

"You definitely need to be in a sling," Mr Humphries told the mayor.

And it got worse for Mr Winters as another new citizen - British-born physiotherapist Gillian Shapley - also reminded the mayor to use the sling.

One-armed and somewhat defenceless, Mr Winters then had to admit he had bought his mountain bike from Mrs Shapley's shop, Cycle Zone.

"It's not often I am caught out twice," he said.

Immigrants from as far afield as South Africa, Britain, Philippines, Canada, Fiji and Germany were welcomed as new citizens at the ceremony.

Many had been living and working in Rotorua for up to 10 years while several others, including Rerewhakaaitu farmer Mary Neylan, arrived in the country up to 40 years ago.

New citizens: Claudio Patricio Aravena Valenzuela (Chile), Cheryll Ann Beswick (South Africa), Henno Claassen (South Africa), Morne Claassen (South Africa), Satya Devi and Rakesh Dumar (Fiji), Hans Peter Freiesleben (Germany), Tina Elizabeth Gamblin and Benjamin George Jones (UK), Navindra Vikash Gounder (Fiji), Adrian Roger Humphries (UK),
Dipesh Kumar (Fiji), Hari Raju (Fiji), Ronald Agravio Ramajo, Josephine Borja Ramajo, Kyle Joshua Borga Ramajo and Kylie Joy Borga Ramajo (Phillippines), Gillian Louise Shapley (UK),
Kristina Ann Thompson (Canada), Elisa Elizabeth van der Mescht (South Africa), Christo Adriaan van Niekerk, Irma van Niekerk, Christine Lucia van Niekerk, Milah Andrea van Niekerk and Amelia Katya van Niekerk (South Africa), Paul Derek Walker (UK),
Heather June Keefe (UK), Mary Margaret Neylan (UK), Thomas Solon Powell (USA),
Zhou Yu (China).