Social Studies Level 2 Social Organisation:

TONGA - NEW ZEALAND 1950

HOW PARTICIPATION WITHIN GROUPS INVOLVES BOTH RESPONSIBILITIES AND RIGHTS

Career of a Parliamentarian

Andrew Afeaki says:

My father Afeaki Pousima’s life spanned two world wars and saw the massive changes that occurred after the Second World War in Tonga.

He was born in 1914 and was educated at a Catholic primary school run by the Marist sisters in Nuku’alofa. They ran the best schools for learning English. It was something outstanding in that day that his parents sent him to school in Nuku’alofa.

He continued at Nuku’alofa’s Catholic secondary college, ‘Api Fo’ou. He was the first Catholic to pass the public exam.

This qualified him for a job in the civil service but he never in fact took up such a job.

In World War II he joined the army. He was not medically fit for a front line job. As he spoke English as well as Tongan, could type and do shorthand, he worked in army administration in Tonga, ending up as a sergeant.

After the war he studied law locally, set by the Supreme Court and the Chief Justice, passed the exams and was licensed to practice as a local lawyer.

He took up an interest in politics and soon entered Parliament. He had about 20 years in Tonga’s Parliament.

He was man of strong conviction who spoke out, even against government as was warranted. He was a great supporter of the Monarchy which was in his view, good for Tonga. This did not prevent him criticizing it, or praising it when he thought it was doing the right thing.

That was him.Next, Coping with the depression

Source: Anthony Haas personal collecton

Soakai Afeaki (left) and his father, Pousima Afeaki, with Patricia Donnelly in Nuku'alofa

Source: Painting by Fa'apoi 'Uvea.

Fa'apoi 'Uvea's painting, Old man with the fishing net, is one of the artworks in the Siu Ki Moana Exhibition in the National Library in Wellington, 19 November 2005-19 March 2006.

It is one of the links between the story of Pousima Afeaki and the families who built the links between New Zealand and Tonga.

Fa'apoi 'Uvea, born 1965, a teacher trainee at Victoria University of Wellington, husband and father of seven children, an observant Catholic, migrated to New Zealand from Niuatoputapu in Tonga in 1996.

Find out more about Fa'apoi and see more of his painting.

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