Former Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has died after battling a short illness.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, who expressed his deep sadness at Mboweni’s sudden passing said that given his sense of vitality and energetic and affable engagement with South Africans, the 65-year-old’s passing came as a great shock. Mboweni was remembered as a politician who conducted himself with expert rigour while maintaining the personal touch that made him a social media star known for his culinary videos.

Dr Mboweni was South Africa’s first Labour Minister, serving from 1994 to 1999 in the Cabinet of former President Nelson Mandela. The 65-year-old politician then went on to serve as the Governor of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) for 10 years, starting in 1999.

Thereafter, he most notably held the position of finance minister.