Pasifika candidate brings new voice to Timaru local election

Sange Malama says many locals feel “disconnected” from council decisions, and she’s running to rebuild trust.

Malama, who is of Tongan and Tokelauan descent, says her parents were among only a handful of Pasifika families in Timaru when they moved to the South Canterbury town in the 1980s.

“When we moved here, there were only about three or four Pasifika families,” she says. “My parents and those families all clung together.”

Four decades on, the Pasifika community has grown, but Malama says representation has not caught up.

“Everyone just feels really disconnected from the council and the decisions being made. You can’t see yourself at the table.”

Malama, who works in education and supports local schools with family engagement, is standing for one of six seats on the Timaru District Council.

Sange Malama says her candidacy is about showing local youth they belong in decision-making spaces. Photo/Aoraki Moana Facebook

She is among 15 candidates contesting the ward and, according to council staff she has spoken with, Malalam says she is likely the first person of Pasifika heritage to ever stand in the district.

Timaru District Council confirmed that, as far as records show, Malama is the first person to stand for the council who has explicitly identified as belonging to the Pasifika community since the Timaru City Council was replaced by the Timaru District Council under the Local Government Act 1989.

Turning campaigning into civic education

Her campaign has doubled as a civics lesson for many in her community.

“People thought it would be two big steps,” she says. “We broke it down: you go in, they help you enrol, then you vote. The ones who did it messaged me saying it was easy.”

Local students show support for local election candidate Sange Malama. Photo/Supplied

Many sent her photos outside the council building or holding their voting envelopes.

“Whether it’s for me or not, the fact they’re voting is the best feeling.”

Stephen Doran, Timaru District Council’s General Manager Corporate and Elections Officer, says council staff have noticed encouraging engagement.

“There’s no real way to track the demographics of who is voting as the majority of votes are posted, but we’ve been helping a number of Pasifika families who now live in Timaru get enrolled to vote and cast special votes, which is great to see,” Doran says.

Voter turnout in Timaru sat around a third of eligible voters this week, which Malama says is concerning.

According to Timaru District Council, turnout in the district was 48.8 per cent in 2019 and 46.6 per cent in 2022, with participation for the 2025 election tracking lower.

A council spokesperson says staff have been working to make voting more accessible this year, including increasing the number of voting bins.

The council has been reaching out to multicultural agencies and targeting traditionally low participating groups, such as our former refugee community, the spokesperson says.

Building local pride and connection

“I’m fluent in Timaru,” Malama told Local Democracy Reporting.

“I’m not fluent [in Tongan or Tokelauan], but now that I’m older, I’m the director of the festival here."

Sange Malama is standing for election to Timaru District Council. She is of Tongan and Tokelauan descent. Photo / Supplied

Malama directs Timaru’s Pasifika Festival, now in its fifth year. She describes it as “small but growing” and facing the same funding challenges as other community events.

That experience shapes her platform - rebuilding trust between council and community, strengthening youth opportunities, and keeping local talent in town.

“Our youth are leaving as soon as they can,” she says. “Getting to know our people is where the answers lie, in our families, our community, and our schools.”

She says Timaru’s “meet the candidates” events revealed how out of reach local democracy can feel for many residents.

“It was always older Pākehā audiences. Maybe we need to change how we run them – more community groups could host."

Timaru candidate Sange Malama says revitalising the CBD starts with council and community working together. Photo/Sange Malama - Candidate for Timaru Ward Facebook

Although she admits she was nervous about being the only brown face on stage, she says her fellow candidates were “really kind” and offered her tips to calm her nerves.

“They were really supportive. It just made me think, we should all get in.”

Representation and belonging

Before moving into community work, Malama spent years in local factories. She wants to challenge the perception that local government is only for the well-off.

If elected, she says her focus will be on rebuilding relationships and visibility.

Malama says her Pacific values guide her leadership approach.

“Because Pasifika, we live collectively. It’s never about the individual. It’s what’s best for everybody,” she says. “I’ve said my whole campaign: I’m bringing a seat for everybody, not just Pasifika.”

According to the 2023 Census, 3.5 per cent of Timaru District’s population identifies as Pasifika, up from 1.9 per cent in 2018.

A council spokesperson said data from Infometrics NZ shows the Pasifika population in the district has been steadily increasing since 2015/2016.

With voting closing on Saturday, Malama encourages the community to get involved.

"Get out and vote. It’s the best thing you can do for your family and for your community. And also just to continue being brave and out of our comfort zone is where we grow the most.”

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.