By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Former finance minister and SA Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni will be honoured with a special official funeral on Saturday at his hometown in Tzaneen, Limpopo.
Mboweni, 65, died on Saturday night after a short illness, his family confirmed in a statement.
He will be laid to rest on Saturday, October 19th in Tzaneen, Limpopo.
Prayers are currently being held in Killarney and Sasekane Village at 18h00 until Wednesday.
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula led the ANC delegation to extend condolences to the Mboweni family.
Mbalula announced that Mboweni will be granted Category 2 state funeral.
In a statement the Mboweni family confirmed that they met with a Government Delegation constituted by the DG and the Officials from the President’s Office, the Public Works Department and other Government officials.”
“Tito Mboweni (Molwana) will be afforded the Category 2 State Funeral.”
“The family appreciate all of the support it has to date received from all South Africans accross the board, messages received from his personal friends, Colleagues and Comrades both in South Africa and Globally.”
Reflecting on his life, Mbalula described Mboweni as an intellectual who would easily unpack what seemed like hard situations to them.
He further described him as a loyal servant of the ANC who was not afraid of engaging strategic opponents because he believed in the theory of the revolution that it was superior.
“He could interact with anyone with any topic with no difficulties. That is what he was to everyone.
“He was not afraid of opponents, strategic opponents. He would not confuse a strategic opponent with an enemy, he understood this.
That is why he reach out to the EFF. When the EFF dropped in this election, he said they must not be erased from the political map and will bounce back.
“He was a versatile political animal but at the same time, in a true ANC style,” Mbalula said.
Mbalula said Mboweni will be remembered as an architect who laid the foundation for the macroeconomic stability of this country.
Mboweni had a remarkable career in politics, civil service and in the private sector.
He was an advisor to Goldman Sachs International (one does not simply get appointed to a formal role at Goldman).
He also held many, many directorships over the past three decades – including of the New Development Bank (the ‘Brics’ bank), AngloGold Ashanti, Nampak, Sacoil (now Efora Energy) as well as Discovery Limited (and Discovery Life).
And he was chancellor of Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (formerly Medunsa).
Mboweni was an active non-executive director of Discovery at the time of his passing on Saturday (12 October), having returned to the board in 2022 after he stepped down as minister of finance. He was previously a director at Discovery between 2013 and 2018.
Mboweni was chair of Accelerate Property Fund from 1 June 2013 (prior to its listing on the JSE) until October 2018, when he was appointed to cabinet.
Fullview sends its heartfelt condolences to the Mboweni family. May Molwana, Mahumana Mbowi rest in peace.