Misa Telefoni Retzlaff

Misa Telefoni Retzlaff
File:MisaTelefoni 640.jpg
Deputy Prime Minister of Samoa
In office 19 March 2001 – 20 March 2011
Prime Minister	Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi
Preceded by	Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi
Succeeded by	Fonotoe Pierre Lauofo
Other cabinet posts Minister of Trade, Commerce, Industry and Labour In office 24 April 2006 – 20 March 2011 Preceded by Hans Joachim Keil III Succeeded by Fonotoe Pierre Lauofo Minister of Tourism In office 24 April 2006 – 20 March 2011 Preceded by Hans Joachim Keil III Succeeded by Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi Minister of Finance In office 20 March 2001 – 19 March 2006 Succeeded by Tapunuu Niko Lee Hang Minister of Health In office 26 April 1996 – 20 March 2001 Preceded by Sala Vaimili Uili II Succeeded by Mulitalo Siafausa Vui
Member of the Samoan Parliament for Falelatai & Samatau
In office 26 February 1988 – 4 March 2011
Preceded by	Lupematasila Faʻamalaga
Succeeded by	Lemi Taefu
Personal details
Born	Hermann Theodor Retzlaff (1952-05-21) 21 May 1952 Apia, Territory of Western Samoa (Now Samoa)
Nationality	Samoan
Party	Human Rights Protection Party
Spouse	Sarah Pulepule Young
Alma mater	University of Auckland

Misa Telefoni Retzlaff (born Hermann Theodor Retzlaff, 21 May 1952) is a Samoan author and retired politician who served as the deputy prime minister of Samoa and deputy leader of the Human Rights Protection Party from 2001 to 2011. A member of the Human Rights Protection Party, Retzlaff was also minister of finance from 2006 to 2011.

Background

Retzlaff is of German-Swedish-Samoan descent, having inherited his German ancestry from his paternal grandfather. His name "Telefoni", is the name that was given by the Samoan community in the early twentieth century, to his grandfather, when he arrived in the German colony, as a public servant of the postal services, to introduce the telephone to the country. He was educated at Marist Brothers in Apia and King's College in Auckland, New Zealand. He studied law at the University of Auckland, graduating in 1974. After returning to Samoa, he studied to become a Certified Public Accountant, graduating in 1977, before going on to practice law. He was appointed Attorney-General of Samoa in 1986. His eldest son Lemalu Herman Retzlaff was subsequently appointed and also served as Attorney General of Samoa in 2016.

Political career

In 1988, he resigned his position as Attorney-general to run for election, winning the seat of Falelatai & Samatau. Initially part of the opposition, he joined the government of Tofilau Eti Alesana in 1991 as Minister of Agriculture, Forests, Fisheries and Shipping. In 1996 he became Minister of Health, and in 2001, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. In 2006 he was appointed Minister of Tourism, Trade, Labor and Commerce. He retired at the 2011 general election.

Publications

Retzlaff has had two books published; "Love and Money", a love story about the richest young bachelor in Auckland New Zealand falling in love with and marrying the young Samoan kitchen help from his exclusive boarding school; and "To Thine Own Self be True", a collection of articles, speeches and poems. In 2021 he published an autobiography, Tautua – Memoirs of a Public Servant.