Ramaphosa reprimands Mboweni for speaking against removal of Zambia’s governor
President Edgar Lungu dismissed Governor Denny Kalyalya on Saturday and Mboweni is demanding an explanation.
JOHANNESBURG - President Cyril Ramaphosa has publicly reprimanded Finance Minister Tito Mboweni after he called for Zambia's president to give reasons for firing that country's central bank governor.
President Edgar Lungu dismissed Governor Denny Kalyalya on Saturday and Mboweni demanded an explanation.
Over the weekend Mboweni tweeted, “Presidents in Africa must stop this nonsense of waking up in the morning and firing a central bank governor.”
In a statement released on Monday morning, Ramaphosa assured Zambia that Mboweni's remarks did not reflect the views of the South African government or its people.
The President of the RSA, H.E @CyrilRamaphosa, has strongly reprimanded the Minister of Finance, Mr Tito Mboweni, following comments made by the Minister on social media regarding the removal of Zambia’s Central Bank Governor by President Edgar Lungu. https://t.co/BO0PyzW9CS
— Presidency | South Africa 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) August 24, 2020
Presidency spokesperson Tyrone Seale said: “President Ramaphosa wishes to assure the government and people of the Republic of Zambia that the unfortunate remarks do not reflect the views of the South African government and its people.”
Meanwhile, the media in Zambia is not taking his comments lying down.
Hot FM’s Kwangu Luwewe called on him to explain: “Clearly here you are undermining Zambia’s president.”
Mboweni responded: “My comment is on central bank independence so if my comment caused diplomatic tensions it was not intended."
President Ramaphosa said South Africa remains committed to maintaining cordial relations with Zambia.
