“Droves” of people have been visiting Auckland’s Tipene Funeral Home, paying their respects to Green MP Fa’anānā Efeso Collins, who tragically died last week.
The 49-year-old community leader was participating in a charity event at Auckland’s Britomart on Wednesday morning when he suddenly collapsed, dying at the scene shortly after.
He was a hugely respected community leader and had only delivered his maiden speech in Parliament days earlier.
Since his death, Auckland has seen an outpouring of grief – with many keen to pay their respects.
A spokesperson from Tipine Funeral Home, where Collins’ is lying in state, said “droves of whānau, community, friends – even folks who have never met Efeso but have been moved by public tributes – had made the hīkoi over the weekend to pay their respects”.
“Often having to wait hours to be hosted.”
From 9am this morning, visits by the Green Party, the Labour, Party Pasifika Caucus, Te Puni Kōkiri, Te Arawhiti and the Ministry of Pacific Peoples took place. These were led by National MP Tama Pōtaka.
Among those visiting were fellow Green MPs Chlöe Swarbrick and Julie-Anne Genter, Labour leader Chris Hipkins and senior Labour MPs Carmel Sepuloni and Willie Jackson.
Singing could be heard after Labour MPs entered.
From Tuesday onwards, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson, the Independent Māori Statutory Board, the diplomatic core, and potentially the Kīngitanga would visit the funeral home.
A road closure and traffic management would be in place on Hill Road, between Fleming St and Princes St in Onehunga, "due to the funeral of a significant community figure lying in state at Tipene Funeral Home".
The funeral home asked mourners to carpool if possible due to limited parking spaces on the street.
A public memorial for Collins would be held at the Due Drop Events Centre in Auckland’s Manukau on Thursday at 12pm and would be open for the community to attend.
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