At the age of 65, South Africa's first black central bank governor—who subsequently held the position of finance minister—passed away.
Without providing any other details, the presidency declared on Saturday night that Tito Mboweni had experienced a "short illness".
"We have lost a leader and compatriot who has served our nation as an activist, economic policy innovator and champion of labor rights," stated the president.
He passed away in a Johannesburg hospital "surrounded by his loved ones," according to his family, who expressed their devastation.
Mboweni, a former anti-apartheid activist, studied at a university in Lesotho for nearly ten years while living in exile.
A master's degree from the University of East Anglia in the UK came next.
In subsequent years, he was cited as remarking, "I suppose you can call me an exile kid, and international kid born in South Africa."
"But my home is in South Africa, Lesotho, Mozambique, the United Kingdom, Zambia, Angola, Tanzania, Swaziland, the USA, Switzerland, and everywhere I stayed in my youth. I hate narrow nationalism - I cannot stand it. I hate xenophobia."
After his 1990 return to South Africa, he worked under President Nelson Mandela as the country's first labor minister, significantly influencing the development of post-apartheid labor regulations.
These established the framework for labor courts and collective bargaining agreements, which safeguard the rights of employees.
According to News 24, he developed a reputation for being morally upright and willing to engage in frank conversation.
This was followed by a stint in the private sector, including as an international adviser to the global investment bank Goldman Sachs.
More recently, he was credited with stabilizing the economy while serving as President Ramaphosa's finance minister from 2018 to 2021.
Even though he had hinted months before that it might be time for fresh blood because he was too old in the tooth, he accepted that role.
"Against the wisdom of my team, please don’t tell them this. It’s between us, I am not available for minister of finance. You cannot recycle the same people all over again. It is time for young people. We are available for advisory roles. Not cabinet. We have done that," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
As he grew older, Mboweni endeared himself to South Africans by his easygoing demeanor, amusing culinary posts, and interactions with fans on social media. Following his passing, one fan wrote, "He's left shoes too big to fill."
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