Mboweni’s Death Wish Ignites Controversy Over Mbeki’s Exclusion From Funeral

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office has denied any involvement in the removal of former president Thabo Mbeki’s name from the list of speakers at the funeral of former finance minister Tito Mboweni. The exclusion has sparked a row, with accusations flying about the motives behind the decision.

Mboweni’s Final Request

Hours before his death, Mboweni reportedly informed his family that he wished for Mbeki and former ANC minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi to speak at his funeral.

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However, this wish was not fulfilled, as Mbeki’s name was removed from the program at the last moment. The family had included Mbeki’s name in the draft program submitted to the state, but it was omitted in the final version.

Allegations Against the Presidency

An ANC source has blamed the Presidency for the exclusion, suggesting it was a deliberate move to prevent Mbeki from overshadowing Ramaphosa. Mbeki, who had prepared his tribute, found his name missing from the list upon arrival at the funeral service held at Nkowankowa Stadium in Limpopo. Despite the family’s apologies and urging, Mbeki declined to speak, stating that his name might have been removed for a reason.

Mbeki’s Tribute

Later, Mbeki recorded a video tribute to Mboweni, which he posted on the Thabo Mbeki Foundation website. In the video, he expressed that Mboweni would have wanted him to speak at the funeral.

Presidency’s Response

Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya stated, “Out of the deepest respect for the departed former minister of finance, Dr Tito Mboweni and his family, and out of respect for our former president Thabo Mbeki, the Presidency will not be party to a public spat on the funeral arrangements and programme. With that said, there was no designated speaker that was prevented from addressing mourners on the day.”

Family’s Frustration

According to an ANC insider, the Mboweni family was not consulted before Mbeki’s name was removed from the program. The family had included names such as Rwandan President Paul Kagame and King Letsie III of Lesotho, along with Mbeki, in the program submitted to the government. However, the final program distributed at the church service excluded these names, causing frustration and disappointment among the family members.

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Cultural Insult

A family member expressed anger over the exclusion, stating, “Why did they do that to Tito? A death wish is a death wish. It must be fulfilled. Tito was very close to Mbeki and he knew why he wanted him to address his funeral. They were together in exile and they were ANC economists. The entire Mboweni family is hurting over this insult.”

Memorial Service Planned

It is understood that the ANC is planning a memorial service for Mboweni next week, with the date yet to be announced.