#TrendyTuesdays: Tito Mboweni and Twitter finance gurus shake the establishment

South Africa’s newly appointed Finance Minister Tito Mboweni ventured into uncharted waters when he asked the unruly streets of Twitter for ‘financial advice’ ahead of the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement to be delivered on Wednesday, 24 October.

“Let us do something unusual which will annoy the Establishment. If you were Minister of Finance, what would you announce on Wednesday next week,” Mboweni said.

Mboweni’s tweet received over 3 000 responses, with some giving sound advice while others were downright unusual and humorous.

Twitter gives Tito Mboweni financial tips:

Cut the size of the cabinet in half. Cut ministers' salaries. Cut off their non-essential perks. Keep a tighter reign on local government expenditure!!!

— MT (@MTimmal) October 20, 2018

#DearMinisterMboweni. Thanks for being consistently democratic. I’d announce VAT exemption for chicken, it’s eaten more by the poor than many VAT insulated items; reduce perks for ministers,MPs/senior public employees and invest in enterprise-development and inequality reduction

— Prof Thuli Madonsela #KindnessBuilds (@ThuliMadonsela3) October 20, 2018

For a start use the words “Radical” & “Innovation” interchangeably – show us a brand new way of running the economy, not just adjusting tax, or equity figures in mining, finance & redistributing parcels of land – let’s hear big ideas that move SA into the new digital economy

— Lerato Mbele (@mbele_lnb) October 20, 2018

Black tax should be recognized and there must be rebates for those who can prove that they are educating a sibling, providing support for relatives.

— Coceka Mfundisi (@Cmfundisi) October 20, 2018

Announce that Petrol will be fixed at R7 per litre. 😄😄😄

— Curvy_Lito 🇿🇦 (@LILRIBBY) October 22, 2018