Johannesburg – Professor Sibusiso Mandlenkosi Emmanuel Bengu, the former education minister, has sadly passed away.
In a short announcement made on Tuesday, 31 December 2024, the family of the late minister shared: “Professor Sibusiso Mandlenkosi Emmanuel Bengu peacefully left us last night, Monday, 30 December 2024, while sleeping at home.”
The statement continued: “We will hold close the memories of him as a cherished husband, father, uncle, grandfather, educator, former Minister of Education, and ambassador, among many other roles.”
“Information regarding the funeral arrangements will be provided in due course. The family requests privacy during this difficult time.”
Dr. Blade Nzimande, the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, expressed his sentiments: “I wish to express my profound gratitude to Professor Sibusiso Bengu for graciously agreeing to our government’s request to rename the Historically Disadvantaged Institutions Development Grant to the Sibusiso Bengu Development Programme in his honour.”
“This renaming symbolizes Prof Bengu’s legacy and his immense contributions to Post School Education and Training (PSET) in South Africa, especially as the first Minister of Education in a democratic South Africa in 1994.”
Education activist Hendrick Makaneta also paid tribute to Professor Bengu.
“We share in the nation’s profound sorrow and collective sense of loss as we remember Professor Sibusiso Bengu, South Africa’s first Minister of Education and a key influencer in our nation’s ongoing quest for equality and educational reform,” Makaneta stated.
“Professor Bengu will be forever remembered for his unwavering commitment to dismantling the injustices of apartheid-era education and creating a system rooted in inclusivity, accessibility, and equality.
“As the inaugural Minister of Education appointed in 1994 under President Nelson Mandela, he was instrumental in reshaping educational policy during one of South Africa’s most transformative periods.”
Professor Bengu was born on 8 May 1934.
