Mau’u Siaosi Pu’epu’emai, best known as “Georgie the pizza man” has secured a seat in the XVII Parliament of Samoa against four other candidates.

The 49-year-old first time candidate was running for the Vaa-o-Fonoti seat under the Human Rights Protection Party (H.R.P.P.), led by caretaker Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi.

Preliminary result figures show that Mau’u secured a total of 740 valid votes across seven polling booths compared to Fatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi’s (F.A.S.T.) Logo Pelenatino Lavata’I’ (70); Independent and former Polynesian Airlines boss, Fauo'o Fatu Tielu (271) and his H.R.P.P. colleagues, Taumainamoe Aufui Tuimalatu (25) and Valaau Togia Maalaelu (61). 

Even a combination of ballots cast for the other four candidates fail to come close to Mau’u's total. 

By last Friday’s national vote, Mau’u has already widened the gap between his competitors during pre-polling with a lead of 53 votes whilst the rest remained on single digit numbers. 

In a previous interview with the Samoa Observer, Mau'u said he never wanted to become involved in politics. 

But the struggles of his district, Fagaloa, with roads, telecommunication, health, education and other basic infrastructural developments motivated him to throw his name in the hat for a chance to represent. 

“It never crossed my mind to enter politics because I believe I already have enough in my pocket to feed my family," he said.

“But what inspired me to at least try is the challenges my village, as well as the whole of Fagaloa, had been facing for so long in terms of roads, rivers, seawalls, education and many other reasons.”

The lack of school teachers in Fagaloa, affecting the educational prospects of Fagaloa is one area Mau’u plans to enhance. The same goes for health. He said they lack basic access to health care.

“As everyone knows, we are located far away from the main roads. Whenever there’s an emergency, we have to rush all the way to Lufilufi (16.4 km/Google map),” Mau’u said.  

The rising sea level is another problem creating problems for the homes of the people in his district. 

Mau'u is the proud owner of the 22-year-old Georgie’s Pizza hut in Taufusi. From the proceeds of his pizza business, he has managed to put up the Kava Car Rental as well as a massive ava farm in Fagaloa. 

From childhood, Mau’u was raised in Fagaloa before he migrated to American Samoa to seek greener pastures.

He returned to Samoa in the 90s to pursue his career in pizza making, to give back to his families and the community.

“I started from being penniless to owning my spot in the business industry," he said. 

“I’ve struggled to earn money and I was poor and I don’t want to go back to that experience again. And if I was to be elected, I aim to distance people from the same experience I had been through.”