Former finance minister Tito Mboweni to get state funeral [VIDEO]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared that former finance minister and Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni will receive a state funeral.

The Presidency on Tuesday said Mboweni would be given a category 2 special official funeral following his death on Saturday after a short illness. He was 65.

Mboweni will be laid to rest in Nkowankowa Stadium in Tzaneen, Limpopo, on Saturday.

Watch Fikile Mbalula speaking about the legacy of Tito Mboweni

State funeral

Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said Ramaphosa reiterated his condolences to the family and friends of Mboweni.

“The funeral will feature ceremonial elements provided by the South African Police Service.

“President Ramaphosa has directed that the National Flag be flown at half-mast at all flag stations from tomorrow morning, Wednesday, 16 October 2024, until the evening of the funeral on 19 October 2024,” Magwenya said.

Earlier, African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula told journalists that Mboweni “deserves a state funeral; he served our people.”

ALSO READ: Former finance minister and Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni dies at 65

Mbalula and ANC Gauteng leaders visited Mboweni’s family at his Killarney home in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

‘Revered leader’

He said Mboweni was an economist and an “all-round revolutionary intellectual.”

“He should be remembered as a simple, revered leader of our people, and always generous in sharing his experience with others.

“Comrade Tito was an intellectual, no doubt about it. He was an economist, an all-round political intellectual, revolutionary, erudite, and a loyal servant of the African National Congress. That was Tito Mboweni to us,” Mbalula said.

‘Reaching out to EFF’

Mbalula added that Mboweni could interact with anyone over any topic with no difficulties.

He  said this was among the reasons why Mboweni had reached out to the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) after its electoral decline.

“When the EFF dropped in this election, he said ‘no, they must not be erased in the political map, they will actually come back.’

“He was a versatile political animal – but, at the same time, in a true ANC style, he was not afraid of strategic opponents. He understood the message because he believed in the theory of the revolution… that it is superior.

‘Architect generation’

Mbalula said Mboweni would be remembered among the architect generation, which was led by Thabo Mbeki, Trevor Manuel and others, who laid the foundation for macro-economic stability in the country, Mbalula said.

The business community and government departments lauded the legacy of the former finance minister, saying he was a consequential leader who played a major role in economic policy in South Africa.

ALSO READ: Tito Mboweni: Goodbye to one of the most consequential leaders in SA