DailySun
Johannesburg – The esteemed former education minister, Professor Sibusiso Mandlenkosi Emmanuel Bengu, has sadly passed away.
In a succinct statement issued on Tuesday, 31 December 2024, the family of the late minister conveyed: “Professor Sibusiso Mandlenkosi Emmanuel Bengu peacefully left us last night, Monday, 30 December 2024, at home while he was sleeping.”
The statement further expressed: “We will treasure the memories of him as a cherished husband, father, uncle, grandfather, educator, former Minister of Education, and Ambassador, among other significant roles.”
“Information concerning the funeral arrangements will be provided in due course. The family respectfully requests privacy during this difficult time.”
Dr. Blade Nzimande, Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, expressed his appreciation: “I wish to sincerely thank Professor Sibusiso Bengu for graciously agreeing to our government’s request to rename the previously titled Historically Disadvantaged Institutions Development Grant to the Sibusiso Bengu Development Programme in his honor.”
“The renaming signifies Prof Bengu’s enduring legacy and his immense contributions to Post School Education and Training (PSET) in South Africa, particularly as the inaugural Minister of Education in a democratic South Africa in 1994.”
Education advocate Hendrick Makaneta also paid tribute to Professor Bengu.
“We join the nation in profound sorrow and a collective sense of loss as we mourn Professor Sibusiso Bengu, South Africa’s first Minister of Education and an impactful leader in our country’s ongoing quest for equality and educational reform,” expressed Makaneta.
“Professor Bengu will forever be celebrated for his unwavering commitment to dismantling the inequities of apartheid-era education and founding a system rooted in inclusivity, accessibility, and equality.”
“As the first Minister of Education appointed in 1994 under President Nelson Mandela, he had a crucial role in transforming educational policy during one of South Africa’s most pivotal periods.”
Professor Bengu was born on 8 May 1934.
