Mboweni’s sudden death has robbed SA at an important time in its history

By Stanley Letsoalo

The passing of Cde Tito Mboweni, at a youthful age of 65, is not only sad and shocking in its suddenness; it has robbed South Africa of a consummate business and political leader and the ANC of a seasoned stalwart and brains at a critical time in its history, as it seeks to regain its footing as a leader of society following the loss of an electoral majority.

His contribution to South African public life is well documented and correctly celebrated. As the minister of labour, he helped put in place a comprehensive, progressive human rights-based labour relations framework that sought to protect worker rights given South Africa’s historical, tense relationship between business and labour.

As a two term Reserve Bank Governor, which he joined as advisor in 1998 then a Governor in 1999, he entrenched the credibility of the South African Reserve Bank as an inflation