President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the public’s faith in government can be restored through a new generation of incorruptible public servants.
Ramaphosa made the comments while delivering the eulogy at former finance minister Tito Mboweni’s funeral in Limpopo on Saturday.
Mboweni died earlier this month after a short illness.
Ramaphosa said the former Reserve Bank Governor did not live an exuberant lifestyle and this made him the perfect candidate to handle the public purse.
“For Tito, when you hold public office, perceptions matter.”
“With him at the helm, the National Treasury set itself on a collaborative course with the rest of government to restore policy and regulatory certainty.”
He said Mboweni would be remembered as an economic policymaker with an enduring legacy.
“As Governor he could relate to people from all walks of life. He was an empathetic man. He valued character over pedigree. And he was no cynic. He looked for the good in each person – and usually found it,” Ramaphosa said.
He said Mboweni taught all those in government positions that public service is noble and necessary and that one can serve with integrity and hold true to the important values, like faith and family.
“He strongly believed that it was important to give back to the community and country in which one lived.
“He recognised that serving others enriched the servant’s soul. To me he was the shining star that shines brightest in a maze of a dark period in the life of our country we called state capture.”
Ramaphosa said Mboweni championed economic transformation, ‘just as he championed fiscal discipline and evidence-based policymaking’.
“Through his leadership, the National Treasury steered our economy through an extremely difficult period.
“He became Minister of Finance when the country was emerging from the era of state capture and as the country had to confront a devastating global pandemic.
“With him at the helm, the National Treasury set itself on a collaborative course with the rest of government to restore policy and regulatory certainty.” Ramaphosa said.
The Mercury