He was born in Tongatapu, Tonga, in 1816, as the son of Aleamotu’a, Tu’i Kanokupulu.
In 1840 he married Elenoa Ngataialupe, with whom he had one child, Siale’ataongo, in Nukualofa.
Also a Christian, Ma’afu introduced Methodist Christianity to eastern Fiji. Ma’afu died on February 6, 1881, in Lomaloma, Vanuabalavu, and was buried on the island of Lakeba in the chiefly village of Tubou.
The brother and official representative of King George Tupou I, who wished to keep him away from Tonga as a potential rival for the throne, Ma’afu established himself at Lakeba as leader of the Tongan community in the Lau Islands in 1848.
Aligning himself with the Tui Nayau, the paramount chief of the Lau Islands, he went on to conquer the Moala Islands and placed them under the Tui Nayau’s authority.
In 1850, Enele Ma’afu gave the Tui Cakau a canoe and in return the Tui Cakau gave the island of Vanuabalavu to Ma’afu.
He went on to Vanuabalavu and took up residence in Lomaloma, after suppressing a religious war on the island. Using his alliance with the Tui Cakau and Tui Bua, or paramount chief of Bua, Ma’afu defeated Ritova, the Tui Macuata or paramount chief of Macuata, Ma’afu extended his influence through the northern island of Vanua Levu.
The Title Tui Lau: Tui Lau is a Fijian chiefly title of recent history which was created during the time of Ma’afu and his conquests.
Enele Ma’afu is the first Tui Lau to reign from 1869 to 1881 and the second Tui Lau was Ratu Sir Josefa Lalabalavu Vana’ali’ali Sukuna from 1938 to 1958 and the third Tui Lau was the former president and former prime minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Kapaiwai Tuimacilai Mara from 1963 to 2004.
