Jonati Mavoa

Jonati Mavoa
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Civil Aviation and Tourism
In office 1983–1985
Preceded by	Mosese Qionibaravi
Succeeded by	Semesa Sikivou
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries
In office 1979–1983
Preceded by	Charles Walker
Minister of Urban Development and Housing
In office 1977–1979
Minister of Communications, Works and Tourism
In office 1977
Minister for Labour
In office 1972–1977
Minister of Social Services
In office 1969–1972
Preceded by	Vijay R. Singh
Succeeded by	Vijay R. Singh
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 1966–1985
Succeeded by	Filipe Bole
Constituency	Lau–Rotuma
Personal details
Born	12 April 1920 Kabara, Fiji
Died	16 June 1985(1985-06-16) (aged 65) Auckland, New Zealand

Jonati Malamala Mavoa CMG (12 April 1920 – 16 June 1985) was a Fijian civil servant and politician. He served as an MP from 1966 until his death, and held several ministerial positions from 1969 onwards.

Biography

Born in Kabara in April 1920, Mavoa was a civil servant and in 1955 became the first Fijian to be appointed as a clerk to the Legislative Council. He resigned from the civil service in 1966 to join the Alliance Party and stand in the elections to the Legislative Council in the Lau–Rotuma Fijian communal constituency. He was elected unopposed, and was appointed a Parliamentary Secretary for Natural Resources. In 1969 he was appointed Minister of Social Services.

After being re-elected in 1972 (by which time the legislature had been renamed the House of Representatives), he was appointed Minister for Labour, later becoming Minister of Communications, Works and Tourism. Following the March 1977 elections he became House Leader. He was appointed Minister of Urban Development and Housing following the September 1977 elections, before becoming Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries in 1979. In 1983 he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, Civil Aviation and Tourism. He was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1984 New Year Honours.

He died in Auckland in June 1985, having been taken to New Zealand for medical treatment following a fall at his home.