At a ceremony in the Whanganui District Council chamber this month, Mayor Hamish McDouall and Chief Executive Kym Fell welcomed a group of new citizens.
"It doesn't matter whether new citizens have lived in Whanganui for a number of decades or a handful or years, the ceremonies are always meaningfuland a time to celebrate," said Mayor McDouall.
"It was the first time I welcomed a new citizen originally from Egypt, which was a privilege. It was also the first time I saw the citizenship oath conducted in New Zealand sign language by a new citizen with a hearing impairment, which was special."
The new citizens and their original nationalities are: Mr Isireli Baleitavuki (Fijian), Mr Turgut Bayat (Turkish), Mr Smith Amit Chand (Fijian), Ms Temukisa Cole (Samoan), Ms Susan Lynn Cooke (Australian British), Mr Yogendra Narayan Lal (Fijian), Mrs Mohini Lata Narayan (Fijian), Mr Gladwin Benjamin Mendez (Indian), Mr Egelani Pinati Taito (Samoan), Mr Rishi Sharma (Indian), Mr David Gavin Sinclair (South African), Mrs Leslie Anne Sinclair (South African), Mr David Brian Tastard (British), Mr Carl Bond (British), Mr Anthony Edwards (British), Mrs Andrea Christine Edwards (British), Ms Diane Harries (Australian), Mr Filipe Paulo Maragfoou (Fijian), Mr Mohamed Abdelsalam Mahmoud Osman (Egyptian), Mr Edvaldo Santos Santana (Brazilian) and Mrs Anna Keren Todd (Australian).
