Ngoako Ramatlhodi Reflects on Tito Mboweni’s Unhappiness Before His Passing, Expressing Deep Concerns for ANC’s Future

Former ANC NEC member, Ngoako Ramatlhodi, has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of his longtime comrade, Tito Mboweni, revealing that the former finance minister died deeply unhappy. Speaking to the media, Ramatlhodi described how he and Mboweni often engaged in discussions about the challenges facing both the ANC and the nation.

“Tito died a very unhappy comrade,” Ramatlhodi stated. “We spent a lot of time discussing the issues facing the movement and our country, particularly the fate of the national democratic revolution.” These conversations, he said, reflected Mboweni’s deep concern about the state of the ruling party and South Africa’s future. The national democratic revolution, a term used by the ANC to describe the transition from apartheid to democracy, has increasingly been a subject of contention within party circles amid concerns about governance and economic performance.

Ramatlhodi further revealed that in June, Mboweni had sent him a quotation from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. The excerpt, which contrasts the best and worst of times, was intended to provoke reflection on the country’s deteriorating political landscape. “It was part of our debate around the state of the ANC and the country,” Ramatlhodi said.

Mboweni, a former Reserve Bank Governor and later Finance Minister, had been outspoken about his frustrations with the current direction of the ANC. His public social media posts often hinted at his discontent with internal party politics, economic challenges, and governance failures.

Ramatlhodi’s reflections have brought into sharper focus the growing concerns about the ANC’s trajectory, as it grapples with internal divisions, a declining economy, and public disillusionment. Mboweni’s passing has reignited debates about the future of the party and the national democratic revolution he and his comrades once fought for.

In his final days, Mboweni’s concerns remained rooted in the party’s mission to uplift the country, a goal that, according to Ramatlhodi, still feels far from being achieved.