‘He conducted himself with expert rigour’ – Cyril Ramaphosa and others share tributes to Tito Mboweni

by Sergio Miller

Following the sudden passing of renowned politician and former Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni, former colleagues of the deceased as well as the public have taken to social media to share their tributes.

Tito passed away on Saturday evening following a brief illness, at the time of his passing he was 65.

His family confirmed the news in a statement which read: “It is with deep sadness that the Mboweni family announces the passing of former Reserve Bank governor and minister of finance Tito Mboweni […] He passed away in hospital in Johannesburg on Saturday night surrounded by his loved ones.”

While Tito was best known for having occupied some of the most top and yet serious positions in government, in recent years he was best known for entertaining his X (formerly Twitter) followers with some of his most creative culinary dishes. This earned him a new title of being known as the ‘Twitter chef’.

Furthermore, President Cyril Ramaphosa who has had close ties to Tito, has recently shared a tribute to his former colleague.

“Given his sense of vitality and energetic affable engagement with fellow South African citizens, Dr Mboweni’s passing at 65 comes as a shock,” says the Ramaphosa.

“We have lost a leader and compatriot who has served our nation as an activist, economic policy innovator and champion of labour rights.”

“He conducted himself with expert rigour while maintaining the personable touch that made him a social media star and ambassador for Modjadiskloof’s culinary traditions. His passing is a great loss,” Cyril Ramaphosa concluded.

Known for cooking up a storm with his favourite ingredient, Lucky Star pilchards, internet users have since called for the introduction of limited-edition Tito Mboweni Lucky Star packaging as a sign of acknowledgement to the former minister.

Also see: Tito Mboweni reacts to his face on Lucky Star tin