JOHANNESBURG, Oct 13, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Veteran politician Tito Mboweni, a former anti-apartheid activist who won praise for his fiscal prudence and for shaping the country's labour laws, died Saturday aged 65, the government announced.

"President Ramaphosa offers his condolences to the family and friends of Dr Mboweni who passed away following a short illness," the presidency said in a statement.

"Given his sense of vitality and energetic and affable engagement with fellow South Africans" his passing "at 65 comes as a shock," Ramaphosa said.

The former minister died on Saturday evening surrounded by loved ones, his family said.

During the apartheid years, he was in exile in neighbouring Lesotho from 1980 before returning to South Africa in 1990.

But in a decades-long political career, Mboweni's won praise for being the architect of South Africa's post-apartheid labour legislation.

He served as labour minister from 1994 to 1998 after the country's first all-race elections of 1994 that ended apartheid rule.

Between 1999 and 2009, Mboweni was the governor the South African Reserve Bank (SARB).

And in 2018, in his last cabinet portfolio before retiring from public service in 2021, he took charge of the country's finance ministry.

There, he played an integral part of stabilising the country's economy, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic.

In between those periods, he held various roles in the private sector.

"His life was a testament to a life lived in sacrifice, dedication, and selfless service to the people of South Africa," the African National Congress said in a statement.

In his last years, Mboweni won the hearts of South Africans with his humorous cooking content, often sharing meal recipes and engaging with people on X.