“And now when I look up, I know there’s one shining a little brighter, a little closer to me. Among all those stars, I have got my own, my own lucky star, guiding me as you always did, quietly and forever present!”
This is how Tito Mboweni’s grieving son Sello paid tribute to his dad, the “Duke Magoebaskloof”, in a poignant tribute to the former finance minister and first black governor of the Reserve Bank.
Sello said his dad was special, had a good heart, he valued everyone, listened to everyone and made everyone feel important.
“My father lived with a sense of quiet pride and defiance, he faced life’s challenges with his head held high and he never wavered on his beliefs or his love for those around him.
“He gave so much of himself to us, his time, energy and most importantly, his love,” said Sello, saying he spread his love with his children, siblings and lovers.
Sello said Mboweni’s life was one lived with strong values for family, and love, and that their journey together had not yet ended, he would forever guide them.
Tito Mboweni, the lucky star
Of course, to thousands of younger South Africans on social media, the country’s first labour minister became a bit of a social media sensation for his cooking sessions, which often involved pilchards, garlic, lots of garlic and chicken.
It was a social media persona Mboweni was all too happy to play, with many left wondering if he truly enjoyed his meals, which always seemed to have too much garlic.
“While today may feel like an ending, it is not. His spirit is too big, full of life, to ever truly be gone. He will live on.
“I find myself thinking about the night sky, something dad always loved, a sky full of stars.
“And now when I look up, I know there’s one shining a little brighter, a little closer to me. Among all those stars, I have got my own, my own lucky star if you will, guiding me as dad always did, quietly and forever present," Sello said.
Sello, who delivered his speech flanked by his brothers Tumi and Pule, said Mboweni wouldn’t just be any star, but he would be the most dependable “lucky star” - a play on the former minister’s preferred canned food offering for pilchards.
“My lucky star isn’t just any star, it is steady, reliable, always there when you need it. There will always be a little part of dad guiding us.
“Dad, you have always been my guiding star, my lucky star, you will always be a part of me, keep on giving those life lessons,” he said.
Mboweni, from Tzaneen, died last Saturday at the age of 65 following a short illness.
Reflecting on his life, he said Mboweni taught him and his siblings to be united as a family.
“What I miss most about my father is his humour, the way he would listen and remind us that we need to be united,” he said.
He said his father lived a meaningful life that touched his people across the country, adding that he would share ideas and ensure that people were treated fairly and felt valued.
Sello said Mboweni always stressed that it was not about what you have or achieved but how people felt about it.
“His legacy does not end here, it will continue forever,” he said.
Sharing the same words, family representative Manias Mboweni said Mboweni left a great legacy for his family and country and thanked the ANC for supporting him in his journey.
He said the late Mboweni never believed in corruption and the word never existed in vocabulary.
He stated that they would remember him as a great man. President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the eulogy and reflected on Mboweni as a friend, a comrade and a prudent finance minister who was unbothered by those who teased him about his worn brown shoes.
As a former minister, Mboweni was accorded by Ramaphosa, a category 2 special official funeral. He was buried in Limpopo.