Former finance minister Tito Mboweni has come under fire after he complained about hitting potholes and nearly “losing” his life.

Mboweni said he hit the “dangerous” potholes between Dullstroom and Mashishing, saying they need to be fixed immediately.

“Why do you want to call a conference to discuss the dangerous potholes between Dullstroom and Mashishing? Fix the damn road. Fix it. My car tyres and wheels were destroyed there. I nearly lost my life. Fix the road,” tweeted the former minister. 

His tweet did not land well with social media users who said he had no right to complain as he had worked in government for decades.

They said his experience did not compare to the daily frustrations of ordinary South Africans who have been reporting potholes without any government response. 

“I am glad you are feeling the pain South Africans are feeling since the ANC became a governing party. You are also lucky because you nearly lost your life. Many people lost their lives, friends and families because of potholes,” wrote one user. 

Another said he should call transport minister Fikile “Mr Fix” Mbalula to ask him to do his job.

“Don’t you have Fixfokol’s number on speed dial? Maybe if you can convince him to get the potholes fixed he can change his name to Fixsomething.”

Don’t tweet, report potholes

Mbalula is no stranger to receiving complaints about potholes around the country. In a media briefing two weeks ago, he said South Africans should stop hurling insults on Twitter and use the correct channels to report potholes.

“You don’t report potholes to close them. All you do is complain and hurl insults on Twitter. There are so many potholes in Joburg. Wherever you see a pothole, report it and they will come and close it, anywhere, throughout the country,” said the minister. 

He also attributed the poor response to potholes to corruption. 

“Arrest these criminals. Don’t wait. Just arrest them,” he said. 

Here’s a glimpse into responses to Mboweni: