Afioga Lesatele Rapi (died December 1979) was a Western Samoan chief and politician. He was a member of the
Legislative Assembly and served in the cabinet three times between 1967 and his death.
Biography
Rapi was elected to the Legislative Assembly in the
1957 elections. He was a member of the
1960 Constitutional Assembly and a signatory of the independence constitution. He was re-elected in
1961
Events January
* January 3
** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba ( Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015).
** Aero Flight 311 ...
and ran unopposed in the
1964 elections. After being re-elected unopposed again in the
1967 elections
Events
January
* January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair.
* January 5
** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establ ...
he was appointed Minister for Works and Transport by Prime Minister
Fiame Mata'afa. Despite being re-elected unopposed in the
1970 elections, he was left out of the cabinet of new Prime Minister
Tupua Tamasese.
Mata'afa returned as Prime Minister following the
1973 elections and Rapi was appointed Minister of Lands. Returned unopposed again in
1976
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...
, he was not included in the new government of
Tupuola Efi. However, he returned as Minister of Lands and Survey following the
February 1979 elections; prior to his appointment to the cabinet he had voted for Efi and against his brother
Va'ai Kolone in the vote for Prime Minister, which Efi won by a single vote.
He died in the national hospital in December 1979 after collapsing outside the Legislative Assembly, survived by his wife Tiresa and twelve children.
Lesatele Rapi
''Pacific Islands Monthly'', February 1980, p73
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rapi, Lesatele
Samoan chiefs
Members of the Legislative Assembly of Samoa
Government ministers of Samoa
1979 deaths