Tito Mboweni: Principled, Trustworthy, Multi-Skilled Person of Integrity

By Professor Bonke Dumisa

I first met Tito Titus Mboweni 43 years ago in 1981 when he and his big friend Ngoako Ramatlhodi arrived at the National University of Lesotho, NUL, Roma, in Lesotho. They came to Roma as political refugees who arrived in Lesotho in 1980 after they had been involved in students upheavals at the erstwhile University of the North, popularly known as Turfloop, which has now been renamed the University of Limpopo. 

They quickly got involved in student politics at Roma; but they correctly stayed away from being caught up on local Lesotho politics. Their student activism was specifically centred around the South African anti-apartheid liberation issues. Unlike most student activists who just shout big bombastic words in their political demagoguery; the Tito political grouping would clearly discuss some serious strategies which would be used in unseating the South African apartheid regime. They would then engage in serious debates on the pros and cons of different economic systems. 

I was their academic senior at Roma; as I was doing my final year of BCom (Accounting) degree. Tito was an Economics and Political Science student, whilst Ngoako Ramatlodi was a law student.  I was a Roving Campus Disk Jockey, DJ Bonke ka Dumisa. Tito-Ngoako group would spend a lot of time talking politics with Father Michael Lapsley, an Anglican Church University Chaplain at Roma, who was by then also a very serious member of the African National Congress, ANC. I lived at the Anglican Chaplaincy, despite the fact that I was not a theology student and that I was a Roving Campus DJ. It was also part of this Father Lapsley connection I would sometimes talk to these politically radical students, when not at the usual student spaces. Some of them called him “Senior Jivist” , SJ. What was interesting though was that these very serious politically radical students would sometimes come and attend the same student parties I was DJing at. That was the beauty of Roma; it made students “More All Rounded People”, because some serious politics could even be discussed during such events. The point I am emphasizing here is that politicians who don’t physically mixed on a regular basis with other members of society from other walks of life will never fully understand the real needs of the society.  

I graduated in 1982, and left Roma and Lesotho; and only to come in 1984 for my wedding with Mamosilo. Tito and many of our Roma varsity-mates blessed us with their presence there in Mpharane, Mohaleshoek. 

The apartheid regime invaded Lesotho at the end of 1982, and killed at least 42 South African exiles in Maseru. The ANC President Oliver Reginald Tambo, “OR”, personally attended the mass funeral of those victims of apartheid brutality. Tito was the flag bearer at that funeral. 

It was in 1985 that Tito went to the University of East Anglia, in the United Kingdom, to do his Master of Arts in Development Economics. 

It was against this background that we all saw the “Well-All-Rounded” Tito Mboweni proceeding to use his multi-skilled background to play an effective role in changing the post-apartheid South Africa to what they earlier fantasized about when they were still students at Roma. 

Mboweni held many positions in his 30 years since 1994. He delivered with flying colours on almost all the positions he held. Let us just mention a few out of those more than a hundred positions: He was the first Minister of Labour, under the Nelson Mandela Presidency, from 1994 to 1999. He was responsible for the enactment of at least three major pieces of labour legislation which ushered in the most comprehensive labour rights to employees. Thanks to the late Tito Mboweni, South African workers actually have more labour rights than many workers in far more economically advanced countries than South Africa. 

From 1999 to 2009 he was the appointed the first ever Black Governor of the South African Reserve Bank. He was actually the 8th Governor of the South African Reserve Bank; hence most people who worked with him at the Reserve Bank usually fondly refer to him as “Governor #8”. He brought in a lot of transparency on how the South African Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee makes its decisions on Repo Rate adjustments. He is personally regarded as the person who introduced the TARGET INFLATION concept at the Reserve Bank. 

In 2018 he was appointed the Minister of Finance by President Ramaphosa to bring in some stability to the National Treasury, after some challenging times under the state capture environment where the country even experienced “the Weekend Special Finance Minister” phenomenon. He equally did a superb job on this job, which he finally left in 2021. 

What many people did not know is that Mboweni has been actively involved in the private and public sector and also globally. He was the Regional Advisor at Goldman Sachs International. He was a Non-Executive Director at Discovery. He was a Non-Executive Director at Zijin Platinum, a Chinese mining company. He worked closely with the Rwandan President Paul Kagame on the Transformation of the African Union. He was the Trustee and Chairperson of the African Union Peace Fund, where he worked closely with the likes of the African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat and others. He was part of the governing structure of the Malaysian-based Asia School of Business. He was the Chancellor of the University of Limpopo; and is now the Chancellor of the Sefako Makgatho University (formerly Medunsa).

There are many people who are grateful that he was their mentor, including one Linda who is one of the shining stars at the World Bank in the USA. 

Most people regard Tito Mboweni as a kind-hearted go-getter who sometimes deliberately does not take himself seriously when he posts himself as the Makgobaskloof Chef trying different pilchards dishes on social media. 

But for those who chose to unreasonably take him on negatively, this is what he said, as quoted by Ngoako Mahlaloga: “One of the cardinal lessons learnt in over 40 years in politics; never be nice to people who are un-nice to you. Confront them; head-to-head, cheek-to-cheek, fist for fist, tongue to tongue; don’t turn the other cheek like they say in the Holy Book. No. Defend your space”.  I AM HAPPY I WAS NEVER ON THE RECEIVING SIDE OF THIS TITO MBOWENI. 

Tsonga Speakers, Tito was Tsonga speaking, say MINTIRHO YAVULAVULA which means LET YOUR DEEDS SPEAK FOR YOU instead of just saying you are great. THE GOOD DEEDS OF TITO SPOKE FOR THEMSELVES.

* Professor Bonke Dumisa is an independent economic analyst.

** The views expressed do not reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.