Farewell to Tito Mboweni: South Africa Mourns the Loss of Former Finance Minister

 

Following the passing of Tito Mboweni, former finance minister and South African Reserve Bank governor, tributes have continued to pour in from across the country. A tweet from 2018 has resurfaced, where Mboweni reflected on his life’s accomplishments and expressed his contentment with what he had achieved. In the tweet, Mboweni shared a conversation with his son, stating that he had done everything a reasonable person could wish for and only requested a decent burial when his time came.

Mboweni, aged 65, passed away on Saturday night after a brief illness. Known for his private family life, he often engaged his 1.5 million social media followers with humor and commentary on political events. Mboweni served as South Africa’s finance minister from 2018 to 2021 and was the country’s first black governor of the Reserve Bank, a role he held from 1999 to 2009. His career also included a tenure as labor minister from 1994 to 1999.

President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed deep sorrow at Mboweni’s passing, while the ANC hailed his life as an example of sacrifice and dedication. The South African Reserve Bank also honored his invaluable contributions. Dennis Bloem, spokesperson for a lobby group, lauded Mboweni’s integrity and commitment to serving South Africa, emphasizing that he was a principled and humble man, free from corruption, whose only goal was to improve the lives of his fellow citizens.