PROFESSOR Sibusiso Bhengu was an ANC underground operative when he was deployed to work with the late Mangosuthu Buthelezi in forming the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in 1975, said former health minister Zweli Mkhize.
The funeral of the first democratic minister of education, who died on December 30 at the age of 90, was attended by who is who in the political and academic spheres.
Mkhize revealed this less-known political credential of IFP’s founding secretary general at his funeral held at the University of Zululand (UniZulu), KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, on January 10.
In recognition of his role as the first education minister, responsible for basic and higher education, and also as ambassador to Germany, President Cyril Ramaphosa granted Bhengu the Special Official Funeral Category 2, which saw his coffin wrapped with the country’s flag and carried by members of the SAPS.
Mkhize, the former student at the university at the time when Bhengu was a lecturer, was correcting that Bhengu first became a member of the IFP before defecting to the ANC.
“He explained to us that he had been assigned together with the president of the IFP, Dr Buthelezi, to form the IFP as a front of the ANC that would in the future work together (with the ANC) to take over the country,” said Mkhize.
However, he said, “Things went wrong in the process.”
“Professor Bhengu was a member of the ANC when he formed the IFP. He was on an underground mission,” he said.
Mkhize said Bhengu was forced to leave the IFP and the country because of the tension created by the tactics and strategies differences between the IFP leaders and “particularly with students within the black consciousness movement who were not happy with the participation in the homeland system”.
“Those tensions created a lot of difficulties for the leaders of Inkatha (IFP) and in the process, this caused a fallout whereas Dr Buthelezi and Dr Bhengu were good friends who trusted each other as comrades.
“But in the course of these differences, the matter got out of hand until at some point the special branch picked up this and started following him (and) in the process the ANC advised him to move out into exile,” said Mkhize.
He said that as professor at the university, Bhengu fully supported the students’ Struggle for justice.
“I remember as a student here (UniZulu) when one of the days when I was a member of the Science Student Society, we took a petition to complain about professors who caused a high failure rate on the year mark, and when we got to Professor Bhengu, the other professors demanded that he must give them the names of the students who complained, but he protected us.
“They broke into (his) office, took out the petition and started investigating him, and all of this complicated his life and he left,” said Mkhize.
Speakers also praised Bhengu, who was born in Kranskop near Greytown, for his role in transforming the education of black people even under the apartheid system. This included his establishment of Kwadlangezwa High School in 1969, and leading various universities.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile used the funeral service to assure the country that the government would, in honer of Bhengu, implement the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act (BELA Act), which has caused tension between the ANC and some of its partners in the government of National Unity (GNU), particularly the DA, who were unhappy with the school language and admission clauses, which empower provincial education departments over school governing bodies.
Mashatile said Bhengu’s death should propel the government to deal with some of the unresolved challenges of the society “including the transformation of our country’s education landscape”.
“As a further step towards transforming, our government would ensure that the implementation of the Bela Act takes place as soon as possible.
“The Bela Act grants provincial education departments greater control over schools’ admission policies, language practices and code of conduct in ensuring the respect of cultural, religious and beliefs of all learners.
“The Bela Act seeks to ensure that in line with the changes of political, economic and geographical landscape in South Africa, all learners have equal and fair access to quality basic education that the country can offer,” said Mashatile.
He said while he was the minister of education, Bhengu was responsible for the amalgamation of 17 different departments, which the democratic system had inherited from apartheid and its homeland systems.
“And introduced curriculum 2005 to reform the school curriculum,” said Mashatile.
He also honoured his role in transforming the tertiary education student fund, which was known as the Tertiary Education Fund of South Africa (TEFSA), into the current National Student Financial Aid Scheme.
“Professor Bhengu’s contribution resulted in many among the previously disadvantaged groups participating meaningfully in the economy and leading in various professions and industries, which they were previously barred from.
“In recent years to continue Professor Bhengu’s work and legacy, the government established the Human Resources Development Council, which has brought together government, private sector, and civil society to ensure that we invest in the production of skills required by the state in the economy.
“In honouring his work, we are investing in the growth and development of the TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) sector, which plays a crucial role in producing the skills that the economy and state immediately require,” said Mashatile.