Standard Bank, retrenchments and farming: Tito Mboweni slammed

15 March 2019 - 08:43 By Odwa Mjo

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Finance minister Tito Mboweni has been criticised for suggesting that retrenched Standard Bank employees go into farming.
Image: Esa Alexander

Finance minister Tito Mboweni received backlash on social media after tweeting that retrenched Standard Bank staff should go into farming.

The minister tweeted this in response to news that Standard Bank would be closing 91 of its branches and retrenching about 1,200 employees.

On a positive note, retrenched staff should think about this. Just a thought. Breakfast everyday: eggs, bacon, baked beans, bread!! Business opportunities: LET US GO FARMING!!
— Tito Mboweni (@tito_mboweni) March 14, 2019

Mboweni also attributed the job losses to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

"The unwelcome consequences of the 4IR!Digitization vs Jobs, people, families! Very sad! You cannot blame the bank. They confront REALITY!" he tweeted.

The job losses come as part of the bank's effort to go digital. Reuters reported that most of the affected branches would shut down by June.

Twitter was not impressed with Mboweni's suggestion.

Bra Tito farm on which land?
— Phemelo kgoale (@Phemelo87538870) March 15, 2019

Cant someone in the Finance department/government take control of Tito Mboweni's twitter account? The guy o kare he is forever high when he tweet.
— Hlokomelo Mabogale (@HlokiMabogale) March 15, 2019

Tito Mboweni is really out of touch with the realities of our people like many of his ANC comrades
— Freddy No Nose (@Who_is_Odwa) March 15, 2019

“LET US GO FARMING” - @tito_mboweni... kanjani when people don’t even have 1 hectare of land 😒
— s.sithole (@uSihle_) March 15, 2019

seriously now Tito? Land? can one even afford such a scrumptious breakfast , things are pap when one is retrenched.
— Rabs Gundula (@Rabs2013) March 15, 2019

Seriously? That's the most stupid thing I've read. Retrenchment is heart breaking, I've been through it? Have you? Not knowing how i'm going to pay my bills and put food on the table for my son. Its stressful and emotional. You really are clueless
— Gina Blackburn (@Geestar1707) March 15, 2019

Imagine working at a bank for YEARS. Day in, day you. Year in, year out. After all your hard work you retrenched. Then a whole entire minister comes and says you must go be a farmer. Can you give them land ge instead for retrenchment packages. #TitoMboweni
— NTHABI❤️ (@Thabita_Molusi) March 15, 2019

Dear Mr President @CyrilRamaphosa , we cannot continue to support and trust in you and your party if your cabinet has people like Mr Tito Mboweni. An individual that continuously mocks and looks down on the struggles of our people. This is unacceptable! https://t.co/JLA9PAeeic
— Zama (@zeema_k) March 15, 2019

@tito_mboweni is one of the many fundamental reasons why @MYANC will lose a great deal of votes come 8 May 2019 elections.
— Tando Tabang Canham (@TandoCanham) March 15, 2019