Standard Bank, retrenchments and farming: Tito Mboweni slammed

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.

https://twitter.com/tito_mboweni/status/1106339076297367557

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
— George Zamdela (@KrepinDiataRole) March 15, 2019

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

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