President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his deep sadness at the passing of Prof. Sibusiso Bengu, the first Minister of Education in democratic South Africa, who died at the age of 90.
Bengu, a pioneering leader in the country's transformation, played a key role in shaping the nation's education system after apartheid ended.
In his statement, Ramaphosa extended condolences to Bengu's family, particularly his wife Mama Funeka, and praised his transformative contributions to the nation.
"My thoughts are with Mama Funeka and the family with whom we are united in this loss," said Ramaphosa.
Bengu is remembered for his leadership in advancing the transformation of South Africa’s education system during the early years of democracy.
Under his guidance, the Education Act was formulated and adopted by the country’s first democratic Parliament, a landmark step in dismantling the apartheid-era educational system that had entrenched inequality and exclusion, he said.
Moreover, Ramaphosa highlighted the significance of Bengu’s work, saying, “Under apartheid, the injustice of unequal education had been at the core of consigning most citizens to intergenerational economic exclusion, poverty and indignity.”
He continued: “The Education Act formulated under Prof Bengu’s leadership and adopted by our fledgling Parliament was a cornerstone of our liberation and unleashed the human potential of all South Africans. It was and is still the lever for the empowerment and development we see today in the lives of individuals and communities."
In addition to his domestic achievements, Ramaphosa said Bengu served as South Africa's Ambassador to Germany from 1999 to 2003.
His legacy is further solidified through the Sibusiso Bengu Development Programme, which aims to strengthen historically disadvantaged institutions in higher education, said Ramaphosa.
“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,” said Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa praised Bengu’s life of faith and his dedication to restoring the dignity of all South Africans.
“May his soul rest in peace,” he said.
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