Former finance minister Tito Mboweni has lifted the lid on life outside of Cabinet. Picture: AFP/File/Rodger Bosch
Finance Minister Tito Mboweni wrote a Facebook post at around 2am on Wednesday morning saying he had “resigned” from social media.
“Given the amount of abuse I go through on these social media platforms, I have decided not to be part of it. I have resigned. I will read your postings BUT you will no longer read my posts. So long my friends. I will only re-post other intelligent offerings. It was good but the time has come to say Goodbye,” his message read.
About an hour after that, however, he was back to posting on Facebook, proving he did not take his own resignation very seriously.
He posted pictures and described a “very good meeting” with President Cyril Ramaphosa at his house to discuss the mid-term budget speech.
READ MORE: ‘Tweeto’ Mboweni cancels Q&A, consults with ‘Mr Fearfokol’
What “abuse” exactly the minister is referring to is unclear.
He will deliver the mid-term budget speech later on Wednesday, a difficult task which has been dubbed a “tightrope walk” on social media, and was also named in a sex scandal on Sunday, with Sunday World publishing what appeared to be private WhatsApp messages between “slay queen” Lerato Habiba Makgatho and Mboweni, as well as Minster of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe.
Both of the ministers are alleged to have slept with Makgatho. This has, however, escalated into far more of a scandal for Mantashe, who Sunday World said had responded to requests for comment by claiming he had already paid two journalists R70,000 to make the story disappear.
His department has since said he doesn’t deny having made such a claim, but does deny actually having paid any money to journalists.
While Mantashe is married, Mboweni is not, meaning the only repercussion of his involvement in the sex scandal will likely be embarrassment.
Mboweni is known for being active on social media, with mixed results.
He has used his Twitter account to joke around, declare war on the media and post pictures of his cooking.
His activity on the platform has even earned him the nickname ‘Tweeto‘.
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