President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his deep sadness at the passing of Professor Sibusiso Bengu, the democratic South Africa's first Minister of Education, who has passed away at the age of 90.
According to a statement released by the family, Bhengu died in his sleep on Monday, 30 December, at his home in KwaZulu-Natal.
President Ramaphosa offered his condolences to the family and friends of Prof Bengu, who also served as South Africa's Ambassador to Germany from 1999 to 2003.
"My thoughts are with Mama Funeka and the family, with whom we are united in this loss.
"Prof Bengu was a pioneering leader of our democratic dispensation and administration, who led the transformation of education in a democratic Government of National Unity, where deep divisions existed about how far this transformation should go.
"Under apartheid, the injustice of unequal education had been at the core of consigning most citizens to intergenerational economic exclusion, poverty and indignity," President Ramaphosa said.
The President highlighted that the Education Act formulated under Prof Bengu's leadership and adopted by the country's fledgling Parliament was a cornerstone of its liberation and unleashed the human potential of all South Africans.
He said that it was and is still the lever for the empowerment and development seen in the lives of individuals and communities today.
"We are therefore indebted to Prof Bengu for his patriotic and visionary service in serving our nation at home and abroad as our Ambassador to Germany.
"His legacy is entrenched through the Sibusiso Bengu Development Programme, which seeks to advance the development of historically disadvantaged institutions in higher education as strong, socially embedded institutions in a diversified post-school education and training system.
"Today, we are grateful for Prof Bengu's diverse contributions to our development, which will light our way forward. We reflect as well on his life of faith, which inspired his commitment to restoring the dignity of all South Africans. May his soul rest in peace," President Ramaphosa said.
Prof Bengu's life and times
Born in Kranskop, Natal, Prof Bengu embarked on his teaching career in 1952, later founding Dlangezwa High School in 1969, where he served as principal until 1976.
His leadership extended to the University of Zululand, where he became Dean of Students before leaving South Africa in 1978. His academic achievements were groundbreaking, earning a PhD in Political Sciences from the University of Geneva and becoming the first black Vice-Chancellor of Fort Hare University in 1991, marking a pivotal moment in higher education reform.
In 1994, Prof Bengu was appointed by President Nelson Mandela as South Africa's first Minister of Education in the democratic era.
He spearheaded the unification of 17 fragmented education departments into a single system, introduced Curriculum 2005 to overhaul the school curriculum, and worked tirelessly to dismantle the structural inequalities of apartheid education.
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Following his impactful tenure, he represented South Africa as Ambassador to Germany, showcasing his dedication to upholding the nation's dignity on the global stage.
Prof Bengu's political journey began as Secretary-General of Inkatha yeNkuleleko yeSizwe in 1974.
After leaving South Africa in 1978, he collaborated with the late ANC President, Oliver Tambo, during his years in exile.
While working with the Lutheran World Federation in Geneva, he continued his commitment to justice and equality. Upon his return to South Africa in 1991, Prof Bengu resumed his lifelong dedication to education and liberation, leaving a legacy of transformative leadership and unwavering service to the nation.
