Labour unions praise Mboweni for being a tough and formidable negotiator
Mboweni, who was also the first Minister of Labour in democratic South Africa, died on Saturday after battling a short illness.
FILE: Finance Minister Tito Mboweni delivers 2020 Budget speech in the National Assembly, Cape Town. Mboweni passed away on 12 October 2024. Picture: GCIS
JOHANNESBURG - Labour unions have hailed former Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni as a tough and formidable negotiator, as tributes continue to pour in following his death over the weekend.
Mboweni, who was also the first minister of labour in democratic South Africa, died on Saturday after battling a short illness.
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Government, business, and labour have all described the 65-year-old as colourful, principled, and a giant in many circles.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) often butted heads with Mboweni over ballooning public sector wages.
COSATU's Matthew Parks, however, said the country had lost a great leader.
"What we disagreed on with him was the approach, but we never doubted his principles and integrity. There have been ministers we could not trust on a simple ethical basis.
"We never doubted that under his watch he would never let state capture, looting, or corruption take place. Part of the nature of being the minister of finance is that you’re not always able to agree with people, but we could engage with him."