Mboweni’s Twitter rants could be his downfall – analysts

Political pundits say Finance Minister Tito Mboweni’s heart may be in the right place, but his Twitter habit is doing him no favours as, like US President Donald Trump, he is creating enemies for himself at every level.

Analysts add that instead of taking his views to the right platform, like his colleagues in the ANC and government, Mboweni relies too much on social media and this could result in his downfall.

Political analyst Daniel Silke said while Mboweni may be seen as a “rabble rouser” who likes to pick a fight with anyone, he has good mission, which is to increase and protect the state purse from abuse.

Another analyst, Somadoda Fikeni, said while the minister may be right to strictly safeguard the fiscus, he must keep his communication skills in check.

A spat recently ensued between Mboweni and Gauteng premier David Makhura after the minister insisted that Gauteng motorists must pay for e-tolls on the province’s highways.

Makhura was joined by members of his executive, Lebogang Maile and Tasneem Motara, who both lashed out at Mboweni for his “neoliberal tendencies”.

They defended Makhura while pledging to defeat Mboweni.

Trade union federation Cosatu leadership delivered the harshest criticism of Mboweni, urging President Cyril Ramaphosa to fire him from Cabinet for making reckless statements on e-tolls.

The minister further faced attacks over his latest statement that he could not give the much-needed guarantee to bail out the ailing SABC to enable it to operate smoothly, at least for a while.

The SABC needs at least a R3.2 billion bailout to stay afloat. It was facing difficulties to pay its employees, while owing suppliers approximately R1.9bn.

Recently employees were evacuated from the radio section at its Auckland Park headquarters after it experienced unexplained fires and power outages, while its lifts continuously malfunctioned. An employee described the situation at SABC as “dire” and its buildings as a “ghost town”.

Mboweni has also been refusing to bail out other state-owned enterprises, such as SAA, while the state announced a plan to fund Eskom, which is crucial to the country’s economic survival and to keep the investor confidence in place.

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