Viliami Tupoulahi Mailefihi Tuku'aho

The prince Viliami Tupoulahi Mailefihi Tukuʻaho (17 June 1957[1] - 14 June 2014 [2][3]) was a Tongan politician and Cabinet Minister,[4] member of the royal family, and holder of the Tuʻipelehake prince title, one of the thirty three titles of the Tongan hereditary nobility.

Viliami Tupoulahi Mailefihi Tukuʻaho
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
In office
30 April 2009 – 4 January 2011
MonarchGeorge Tupou V
Prime MinisterFeleti Sevele
Succeeded byʻAlipate Tuʻivanuavou Vaea
Personal details
Born(1957-06-17)17 June 1957
Tonga
Died14 June 2014(2014-06-14) (aged 56)
Nukuʻalofa

Title and Family

Tuku'aho was the youngest son of Prince Fatafehi Tuʻipelehake. He inherited the Tuʻipelehake title after his brother Prince Sione ʻUluvalu Ngu Takeivulai Tukuʻaho died in a car crash in the United States in July 2006.[1][5] He was the seventh title holder since its institution in the 19th century.[6]

He was married four times. In 1983 he married a commoner, Mele Vikatolia Faletau, renouncing his princely title in order to do so.[1] They had two children. His princely title was however restored by King George Tupou V in 2008. His fourth marriage, in January 2011, followed the divorce of his third wife, ʻEneʻio Tatafu. He then married Fifita Holeva Tuʻihaʻangana, from a noble family, Lord Tuʻihaʻangana's sister.[1]

Education

Mailefihi completed his studies at Queensland Agricultural College (part of the University of Queensland), in Australia, then at Oxford University, in the United Kingdom), where he obtained a Certificate of International Affairs, and finally a graduation in port and naval administration et navale at the Institute of Science and Technology at Wales University (currently named Cardiff University).[7]

Military, administrative and political career

He briefly served in the Tonga Defence Services from 1979 to 1981. He was the Military Liaison Officer at the Foreign Affairs Ministry from 1980 to 1981. From 1986 to 1992, he was the Director of the Navy Department.

He served as Noble Representative from Tongatapu from 2006 to 2007, then as Noble Representative from Ha’apai from 2008 to 2009.[8] In 2009 he was appointed Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.[9][4] Following the 2010 election he was not reappointed to Sialeʻataongo Tuʻivakanō's cabinet.[10]

Sports career
Mailefihi Tuku'aho
Birth nameViliami Tupoulahi Mailefihi Tuku'aho
Date of birth(1957-06-17)17 June 1957
Date of death14 June 2014(2014-06-14) (aged 56)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock
Current team --
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1979-1982 Tonga 4 (0)

Mailefihi was a high level sportsman, being captain of the Tonga national rugby sevens team in the late 1970s. It was that team which won the golden medal at the 1979 Pacific Games in Suva, defeating Fiji, the host country, in the final.[7] He was also the Tonga national rugby union team head coach during the 1987 Rugby World Cup,[11] as well as manager of the Tonga national team at the 1995 Rugby World Cup.[12]

Death

Suffering from diabetes since several years, and after suffering an amputation of both legs due to this reason, he was hospitalised again on the Beginning of June 2014 and died in hospital on 14 June.[2][3]

Notes
  1. "Prince Tu’ipelehake weds", Taimi Media Network, 7 January 2011
  2. "Tonga prince dies". RNZ. 17 June 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  3. "OBITUARY: PRINCE TU’IPELEHAKE PASSES ON" Archived 2015-11-20 at the Wayback Machine, Tonga Daily News, 16 juin 2014
  4. "TONGA CABINET UNDERGOES OVERHAUL". Pacific Islands Report. 5 May 2009. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  5. "Prince and princess of Tonga die in crash", The Daily Journal, 6 July 2006
  6. "Mailefihi becomes 7th Tuʻipelehake", Islands Business, 2 August 2006
  7. "Prime Minister announces two new Cabinet Appointments", Government of Tonga website, 5 May 2009
  8. "MPs observes one minute of silence for Prince Tu'ipelehake's passing". Parliament of Tonga. 17 June 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  9. "Tonga PM appoints two new ministers, takes over foreign affairs and defence". RNZ. 5 May 2009. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  10. ʻAlipate Tuʻivanuavou Vaea Biography on the Tongan Parliament website
  11. HUBCAT:Record
  12. "Tongans threaten to launch 'human torpedoes'". The Independent. 22 October 2011. Archived from the original on 17 August 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
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