Finance Minister Tito Mboweni. Image: File photo / Africa News Agency (ANA)
Tito Mboweni makes Twitter comeback after ‘lifting’ self-imposed ban
Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has announced his return to ‘abusive’ Twitter. And he is following a ‘more natural’ approach.
Finance Minister Tito Mboweni. Image: File photo / Africa News Agency (ANA)
A conversation with Rwandan president Paul Kagame is what persuaded Mboweni to return to the popular social media platform.
After a two-month break, Mboweni has opted to return to Twitter after he previously branded the social networking app as “abusive”. He made the announcement on his account which has 470 000 followers.
At the end of October, Mboweni tweeted that he would no longer actively engage on Twitter, opting instead to occasionally retweet. He made it clear that his retweeting would not be a form of endorsement.
Timing of Twitter withdrawal ‘suspect’
The timing of his announcement was a little suspect at the time as Mboweni was due to deliver the mid-term budget speech. The speech is often a trending topic as people debate and share their thoughts on the resolutions made by the finance ministry.
However, after a chat with Kagame who “enlightened” him on his influence, Mboweni saw it fit to return to the social media platform and again create original tweets.
“I was in Kigali over this weekend and I was told that it is a bad idea for me to leave Twitter. I respect my Kigali friends. Fikile Mbalula [Transport Minister] told me the same thing. I am thinking about my decision. For now, my decision stands. Twitter is no longer a networked society but ABUSIVE,” he wrote on 9 December.
In addition, he said that his tweets on Rwanda had apparently bolstered tourism to that country, with Kagame and a person he met on a flight to the east African state confirming this.
Fikile Mbalula also did some convincing
Mbalula also played a part in convincing Mboweni to return to Twitter. Mbalula is well known for his active presence on Twitter, boasting a following of 1.8 million and often trending for his views.
Mboweni connects as ‘ordinary person’ with followers
Since his return, Mboweni has taken a more natural approach, preferring to share images of his journey back home to Limpopo while on holiday.
He has also shared short stories of the people he has met along the way, with some having the privilege of hosting him at their homes.
On Reconciliation Day, he encouraged his followers to have a chat about shoes as he showed off his own. Mboweni’s new Twitter stance appears to be that of an ordinary person engaging with his followers – instead of reacting to controversy or creating newsworthy topics for debates.
