‘Humble and cheerful man’ – South Africans mourn Tito Mboweni

Tito Mboweni

Cape Town – The death of former finance minister and Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni at age 65 has left South Africans in shock.

The former minister died on Saturday evening surrounded by loved ones, his family said.

During the apartheid years, he was in exile in neighbouring Lesotho from 1980 before returning to South Africa in 1990.

But in a decades-long political career, Mboweni’s won praise for being the architect of South Africa’s post-apartheid labour legislation.

He served as labour minister from 1994 to 1998 after the country’s first all-race elections of 1994 that ended apartheid rule.

Between 1999 and 2009, Mboweni was the governor the South African Reserve Bank (SARB).

And in 2018, in his last cabinet portfolio before retiring from public service in 2021, he took charge of the country’s finance ministry.

There, he played an integral part of stabilising the country’s economy, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic.

In between those periods, he held various roles in the private sector.

Tributes have poured in, with many praising his contributions to the country’s economic development and labour reforms.

President Cyril Ramaphosa lauded Mboweni as an activist, economic innovator, and social media personality.

ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula highlighted Mboweni’s role in shaping post-apartheid labor laws and his leadership at the Reserve Bank.

The EFF also paid tribute, appreciating his openness to intellectual debate.

South Africans expressed their grief on social media, remembering Mboweni for his integrity, cooking posts, and accessibility.

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Compiled by Betha Madhomu

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