Mboweni is a ‘reputable’ minister and I ‘think we’re fine’ – Mabuza

Deputy President David Mabuza has clarified that he does indeed take Finance Minister Tito Mboweni seriously, following his comments in parliament which appeared to indicate that he didn’t, and which caused a stir on social media.

At a Q&A in parliament on Tuesday, Mabuza made a statement about Mboweni which raised some eyebrows on Twitter.

Mabuza said: “I don’t really take the minister of finance seriously when he’s making comments”, adding that when the minister tweets, “it’s not a government position”.

Now, while campaigning for the ANC alongside Gauteng MEC for education Panyaza Lesufi in Benoni, Mabuza said he was taken out of context.

“I know the finance minister is a very reputable minister and very groomed up cadre of the ANC. I trust that he has not taken that comment by the DA in a very bad light. But me and the minister have spoken and I think we are fine. I have confidence in the minister of finance,” Mabuza said, according to The Sowetan.

“People are taking my response out of context. The point that I was driving home is that it would be very difficult for me to follow social media… people tweeting, responding to issues on social media,” Mabuza clarified.

Mboweni himself told parliament on Wednesday afternoon that he also felt Mabuza’s words were taken out of context. He promised that Mabuza did indeed take him seriously.

“I can promise you that the deputy president takes the minister of finance seriously. Do not pick and choose what the deputy president said and use it wrongly,” Mboweni said.

READ MORE: Mboweni ‘confuses the public’ on Twitter – Mabuza

Mabuza’s comments about Mboweni were in the context of a parliamentary discussing on the privatisation of state-owned enterprises, something the finance minister has tweeted about in his personal capacity.

“I don’t think that’s the way we should approach this debate, whether there are certain entities that must be privatised, certain SOEs, this debate must not be approach this way,” the deputy president said.

“I don’t really take the minister of finance seriously when he’s making comments. These are his own comments,” he continued.

“We will take the minister serious when he’s articulating government positions. But when he’s talking about his views, when he’s tweeting, that is his own… I’m not going to entertain a tweet from the minister.”

Mabuza’s comments caused a stir on social media, inspiring comment from, among others, EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu, former Financial Mail editor Barney Mthombothi, former Eskom CEO Matshela Koko, and 702 and Cape Talk presenter Bongani Bingwa.

Shivambu simply posted a link to a video of Mabuza’s words, while Mthombothi asked why the public should take Mboweni seriously if even the deputy president didn’t. Bingwa, meanwhile, said Mabuza “puts his foot in his mouth” every time he spoke in parliament.

Several Twitter users said Mabuza was right about Mboweni, while others said they didn’t take the deputy president seriously either.

(Compiled by Daniel Friedman)

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