The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is shocked by the passing of former South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Governor and Minister for Labour and Finance, Mr. Tito Mboweni. We wish the Mboweni family, his friends and comrades well during this painful period of mourning.
Governor Mboweni played his part in the journey to liberate South Africa and build a democratic non-racial, non-sexist nation. He came a long way from the poverty-stricken village of Bordeaux and the broader community of Tzaneen, Limpopo.
His path from Bankuna High School in Nkowankowa, to Minister for Labour and later Finance and Governor of SARB will inspire many young people and that whilst South Africa continues to be a society painfully scarred by inequality, it is one where the shackles of apartheid and discrimination are being dismantled and the doors of learning and opportunity are steadily being opened. He believed education was a lifelong journey and was correctly proud of his accomplishments at the Universities of Lesotho at Roma and East Anglia in Britain.
Whilst COSATU sparred with comrade Mboweni many a time during his tenure at Treasury and the SARB, we never doubted his integrity or principles. He was part of a generation of leadership who showed that one could occupy the highest echelons of power and not fall prey to the temptation to loot. Mboweni was forthright in his views and where he agreed, he would acknowledge, and where he disagreed, he would be honest and say why. He relished a debate and was keen to play his role as an elder statesman in a society battling to find its place.
Despite our robust engagements and disagreements, we respect and appreciate the historic role he played as the democratic South Africa's first Minister for Labour where he played a key role in putting in place the many progressive labour laws that today enshrine millions of workers' rights to form trade unions, collective bargaining and to strike, that set minimum conditions for service and protect the rights of the most vulnerable and exploited. He was a founding father to Nedlac, our statutory social dialogue forum where government, labour and business have been able to craft wide ranging solutions and interventions to many of society's formidable socio-economic challenges, in particular those affecting the working class.
It was fitting that in his final chapter, Governor Mboweni, proudly returned to his community, Makgobaskloof, and became a relentless ambassador for tourism for this untapped corner of the nation. His larger-than-life personality will be missed. The Federation offers its best sympathies and support to his family, friends and comrades, and his home, our ally, the African National Congress.
Hamba Kahle Governor.
