Lord Ma'afu

His appointment ceremony took place at the Vaka Ua Hall of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, in Vaini.

Lord Ma’afu’s appointment letter was read by Sione Fifita, the Private Secretary to His Majesty King Tupou VI in the presence of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Tupouto'a 'Uluakalala and Crown Princess Sinaitakala Tuku'aho, Prince Taufa’ahau and Princess 'Ofeina e he langi Fakafanua, Prince Ata, Hon Salote Lupepauu Tuita Taione, His Serene Highness Prince and Princess Kalaniuvalu.

His body arrived from New Zealand in an Air NZ cargo flight, yesterday.

The burial is confirmed to be held at the Huelo 'o Hangai Tomb in Tokomololo.

Lord Ma’afu, died on 12 December 2021 at the Auckland City Hospital after a long illness.

The funeral in Tonga was postponed after the cancellation of two Air New Zealand flights to Tonga on 21 and 28 December, due to volcanic activity at Hunga Ha'apai.

A statement released this morning from the Prime Minister’s Office said, “It is with profound sadness that the Office of the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga announces the untimely death of the Right Honourable Colonel, the Lord Ma’afu-Lord Minister in Waiting to His Majesty in Privy Council, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, and Minister responsible for His Majesty’s Armed Forces.”

“His Lordship passed away in the early hours of Sunday, 12 December 2021, at the Auckland City Hospital, New Zealand.”

Lord Ma’afu resigned as Tonga’s Minister of Lands and Survey as well as Minister of His Majesty’s Armed Forces, two days after the Minister of Police Māteni Tapueluelu resigned on February 28.

Pōhiva rejected Tapueluelu’s resignation.

The reinstatement of Lord Ma’afu came after what the Prime Minister’s office has described as a reconciliation meeting Wednesday.  

The meeting was attended by Tapueluelu,  Lord Ma’afu and the Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva, the Prime Minister’s media advisor Lōpeti Senituli told Kaniva News.