President Cyril Ramaphosa has taken the unusual move of publicly lambasting Finance Minister Tito Mboweni. His tone was that of a principal scolding a naughty schoolboy, with an announcement he has ‘strongly reprimanded’ Mboweni for threatening to ‘mobilise’ if reasons for the removal of Zambia’s Central Bank Governor, by President Edgar Lungu, weren’t forthcoming.
Mboweni’s original Tweet disappeared from his time-line. But the finance minister shared Ramaphosa’s announcement.
There is a school of thought that Mboweni should not step out of line and is accountable to his ‘manager’ Ramaphosa. But, many of Mboweni’s 865k followers rallied to his defence.
A comment from the DA’s Leon Schreiber sums up why Mboweni appears to have the moral high ground. “Simple, you can steal…as much as you want to, just don’t speak! That’s a huge crime,” says Dr Schreiber, of the conspicuous absence of reprimands for the corrupt and the captured among the ANC’s leadership.
PS: On an uplifting note, Tygerberg Hospital doctors have come up with a novel way to protect themselves from Covid-19. They are sporting, as my Cape Town colleague Jarryd Neves reports, refashioned snorkel masks ‘usually worn to take in the gorgeous scenery to be found under the water surface’. More on that, plus pictures, here.
”our brave Minister of Finance.”@tito_mboweni 🙈😜🤣🤣🤣🤷🏿♂️ pic.twitter.com/qIag1DEJo1
— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) August 24, 2020
Can we see the same level of energy from you @PresidencyZA. In the same manner that you strongly reprimanded @tito_mboweni for his comments on President Edgar Lungu in Zambia.
Can you issue the same level of strong reprimand to @edmnangagwa for the behavior of his police force. https://t.co/kY7mIyNgAQ
— Mmusi Maimane (@MmusiMaimane) August 24, 2020
Btw, @tito_mboweni is right to speak up about the Zambian central bank losing its independence. Keeping quiet when things go wrong has to stop, especially on this continent.
— Mpiyakhe Dhlamini (@turing_1991) August 24, 2020
We are very surprised with Tito Mboweni’s immature and improper criticism of a sovereign decision by Zambia. The Minister should be attending to COVID problems facing the South Africans, our focus here. We will pursue matter diplomatically.
— Hon. Dora Siliya, MP (@Dora_Siliya) August 23, 2020
Thank you @tito_mboweni for speaking out, we need bold leadership who are able to call a spade a spade.These diplomatic relations what what are the reason why Africa will be called a “shit hole” by Trump and other world https://t.co/uGc14LfMoq and SADC have bcm an old people club
— Gen|Mento (@Gen_Mento) August 24, 2020
Good for Tito. Speaks his mind. Guided by a moral compass, avoiding this nonsense of quiet diplomacy which leads to African nations perpetuating abusive political ideas and violating human rights. Stand your ground. @tito_mboweni @AUChair2020 @UN @antonioguterres @zadama24
— Jane Fernandes (@TrrJane) August 24, 2020
Looks like what ANC promised South Africans
Vs
The Actual results pic.twitter.com/00tm6u1uGG— Gatsheni wa le Gazankulu (@xolane_ndlovu96) August 22, 2020