Finance minister Tito Mboweni‚ who has taken to Twitter to declare war on the media has been advised by the DA to desist from the practice.

In much the same way that US President Donald Trump expresses his views on Twitter‚ Mboweni took to the social media channel on Wednesday to observe that: “It is fascinating and shocking when one is back to REALPOLITIK from the private sector! I am ready!!”

Then‚ in several tweets starting at 10.18pm on Thursday night‚ he continued saying that “wars start in different ways. Spears and shields‚ gun powder‚ bullets and now through media: printed and electronic (eg trade wars by a super power President) and then social media!! Well the SA Editors must be Editors!! If needs be we will be forced into the fight‚ WAR!”

“The problem is that there will be COLLATERAL DAMAGE. Many people might not know this‚ I am a product of the warrior commanders of the mighty Zulu Army from the northern part of KZN eNgwavuma‚ we fear nothing. We die only with spears on our chests NOT our backs. Mayihlome! We face the fire NOT run away from it.

“The time to be gentle is OVER. The line has been drawn in the sand. This far and no further…”

Mboweni has promised a live Twitter question and answer session on Monday at 11am on the topic of the South African economy.

Commenting on Mboweni’s Twitter “meltdown”‚ DA finance spokesperson David Maynier said it was presumably related to reporting on the humiliating “smack down” he received from President Cyril Ramaphosa following his call to close SAA. Ramaphosa said in parliament that this would not happen.

Maynier said his attack on editors was a mistake.

“The fact is that Tito Mboweni needs to get a grip and start acting like a finance minister who is actually capable of dealing with the economic crisis in SA. A good place to start would be for him to stop Tweeting and start focusing on the 9.75-million people who do not have jobs‚ or who have given up looking for jobs‚ in SA."