Two strikingly different attitudes to the retiring governor of the Reserve Bank, Tito Mboweni, were illustrated on Thursday by statements from the Democratic Alliance, and from the metalworkers' union, Numsa.

Dion George, the DA finance spokesman, welcoming the monetary policy committee's decision to hold the repo rate steady, said that that the MPC announcement would be Mboweni's last and added: "The governor deserves credit for his service to South Africa. This is by no means an easy task, especially during such turbulent times.

"The Bank has done well to withstand political pressure under his watch, and the DA trusts and sincerely hopes that the incoming governor, Gill Marcus, continues this tradition."

The unionists however said they are eagerly awaiting Mboweni's departure at the helm of the Reserve Bank.

"His long overdue departure provides the ANC Alliance an opportunity to review the role and mandate of the Reserve Bank," Numsa said.

"We strongly believe that the role of the Reserve Bank towards job creation, poverty eradication and mitigating the impacts and effects of global crisis must now be enhanced.

"Mboweni's world-view is consistent with the 1996 Class Project: co- option by white monopoly capital to weaken the National Democratic Revolution and reverse the gains of the 1994 democratic breakthrough.

"We call on Mboweni to start packing his bags, and to vacate the Bank, as opposed to his nauseous public ranting. We hope that his absence from public office will accord him time to rethink his role in the Alliance and our revolution, and hopefully, fix his head."