Tributes are pouring in after the death of former finance minister and governor Tito Mboweni, who is remembered for his sharp focus on fiscal discipline, economic transformation and culinary skills.
Mboweni, 65, died on Saturday night at a Johannesburg hospital after a short illness, his family announced.
Mboweni served as the country’s finance minister from October 2018 to August 2021. Before that, he served as the eighth South African Reserve Bank (Sarb) governor from 1999 to 2009.
He first joined the bank in July 1998 as an adviser to the governor. Mboweni also served as labour minister in former president Nelson Mandela’s cabinet from May 1994 to July 1998 and before that worked as the deputy head of the department of economic policy in the ANC.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said Mboweni’s death was a great loss. He said as governor and finance minister Mboweni had a sharp focus on fiscal discipline and economic transformation.
“We have lost a leader and compatriot who has served our nation as an activist, economic policy innovator and champion of labour rights.
“Tito Mboweni distinguished himself in different strategic roles in the private sector and was a flag bearer in global forums for our economy and developing economies more broadly.
“He conducted himself with expert rigour while maintaining the personable touch that made him a social media star and ambassador for Modjadjiskloof’s culinary traditions.
The Sarb hailed him for the role he was renowned for — South Africa’s first black governor, a position he held for a decade from 1999 to 2009.
The bank said he was a passionate central banker and played a key role in building the Sarb into the professional, formidable and purposeful organisation it is today.
“During his tenure, the Sarb introduced live media conferences to publicly announce the decision of the monetary policy committee, making it more transparent and accountable. He also introduced the monetary policy forums in provinces across the country, giving ordinary South Africans the opportunity to engage directly with Sarb officials,” reads a statement by the reserve bank.
The Sarb said it was also under his leadership that the reserve bank implemented South Africa’s inflation targeting policy, spearheading efforts to reduce inflation to within the target of 3−6%.
His political party, the ANC, said Mboweni’s life was a testament to a life lived with sacrifice, dedication and selfless service to the people of South Africa. According to the ANC, Mboweni abandoned his studies to go into exile during the height of apartheid repression in 1980. The party said Mboweni contributed greatly to the economic debates that framed the transition to democracy, making him one of the trusted voices of reason within the ANC. He was one of the prime figures in the government of national unity led by President Nelson Mandela.
The EFF also expressed its condolences and joined the nation in mourning the loss of Mboweni. The party said while it often found itself at odds with Mboweni on policy matters — disagreeing with his neoliberal and orthodox approach to economic policy — and engaged in heated debates with him, he was always open to robust, frank and intellectual exchanges.
“Despite our differences, he did not shy away from engaging in rigorous debate. Notably, Dr Mboweni advocated for the creation of a state-owned bank, a sovereign wealth fund and the nationalisation of the South African Reserve Bank, as articulated in one of his social media posts that became a defining point in our debates with him, which came as a surprise,” the EFF said in a statement.
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