Samoa’s High Commissioner to Australia, Lemalu Tate Simi, has passed away.
His death was confirmed by two of his children yesterday, who declined to give details.
Asked for a comment, they said they could only confirm that their father has passed away assuring that there will be an official release from the family regarding his death.
“We are holding off on the media release until she arrives tonight at 9:30pm,” the siblings said about their mother, Peseta Noumea Simi.
The children also declined to give out any other information about when and how he passed away.
But Lemalu is a well-known diplomat and public servant.
On his Facebook page last night, tributes had started to arrive from all corners of the world. One of them came from prominent Samoan, Tofilau Nina Kirifi-Alai, who wrote:
“Tate Simi, A writer, A poet ...
Remember that 'flag of freedom '
An artist, A sikolasipi
Whose poems challenged,
entertained and educated
Us the young post independence
generation of Samoans
Raised by that flag
Filled with lotonu’u
to serve and uphold
Lo ta Malo Tutoatasi
Tate Simi - The artist
That's how I knew you
Talofa e ...alu ia oe
your 'Words"
Will live on
etched in the Arts forever
Unlike life itself
E mamae ma magumagu pei o le
fugalaau.
Alofaaga mo Peseta Noumea ma le fanau.”
Another tribute from Livigistone Nu’usila said he was a “good man gone too soon.”
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Lemalu is one of several senior public servants who have passed away in the last year.
Lemalu was appointed to the position of High Commissioner to Australia in 2009.
Prior to that, he was the Chief Executive Officer for the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour from 2003 to that year.
He is survived by four children and wife, Peseta, who is currently an Assistant Chief Executive with the Ministry of Finance.
Lemalu was born at Fagali’i in 1954 and attended Samoa College from 1967 to 1971.
Following that stint at Samoa College he left Samoa for New Zealand where he was educated at Wellington Polytechnic from 1972 until 1975.
Later, he attended the New Zealand Central Institute of Technology for a year.
Following his education, Lemalu held high profile positions in the New Zealand government as well as in Ministries in Samoa.
He also held the Presidency at the Red Cross of Samoa from 1995 until 2009. Aside from his academic skills landing him many job opportunities, Lemalu also held a high post with the Samoa Rugby Union as an executive from 1986 to 2007.
In 1986-1996 and 2008, he was elected as Manu Samoa Manager.
Lemalu replaced Dr. Lei’ataua Kirifoti Eteuati as High Commissioner of Samoa to Australia.
Following his education Lemalu was employed at the Head Office of the Ministry of Works in Wellington New Zealand from 1972-74 before moving to the Housing Corporation from 1974 until 1977.
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In 1978 he worked for the Department of Works, Samoa before working for the Department of Labour from 1978 to 2003. He later on became the C.E.O. for the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour from 2003-2009, a time during which Samoa underwent restructuring within its Government Departments.
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
1972-1977 – Architectural Draughtsman
1978 – Senior Arch. Draughtsman
1978-1979 - Inspector of Apprentices
1979-1980 – Labour Inspector
1980 – 1982 – Senior Labour Inspector
1982-84 - Assistant Commissioner of Labour
1984-2003 - Commissioner of Labour
2003-09 - C.E.O for the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour.