Johannesburg – The former Minister of Education, Professor Sibusiso Mandlenkosi Emmanuel Bengu, has sadly passed away.

In a succinct statement issued on Tuesday, 31 December 2024, the late minister’s family shared: “Professor Sibusiso Mandlenkosi Emmanuel Bengu peacefully left us last night, Monday, 30 December 2024, in his sleep at home.”

The statement continued: “We will treasure the memories of him as a cherished husband, father, uncle, grandfather, educator, former Minister of Education, and Ambassador, among numerous other roles.”

“Further information regarding the funeral arrangements will be communicated in due course. The family kindly requests privacy during this difficult time.”

Dr. Blade Nzimande, Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, expressed his gratitude: “I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to Professor Sibusiso Bengu for honorably accepting our government’s proposal to rename the previously designated Historically Disadvantaged Institutions Development Grant to the Sibusiso Bengu Development Programme in his remembrance.”

“The renaming signifies Prof Bengu’s enduring legacy and his considerable contributions to Post School Education and Training (PSET) in South Africa, particularly as the first Minister of Education in a democratic South Africa in 1994.”

Education activist Hendrick Makaneta also paid tribute to Professor Bengu.

“We unite with the nation in profound grief and a shared sense of loss as we mourn Professor Sibusiso Bengu, South Africa’s first Minister of Education and an influential leader in our country’s ongoing quest for equality and educational reform,” Makaneta stated.

“Professor Bengu will always be remembered for his unwavering commitment to dismantling the inequities of apartheid-era education and establishing a system rooted in inclusivity, accessibility, and equality.”

“As the inaugural Minister of Education appointed in 1994 under President Nelson Mandela, he played a crucial role in redefining educational policy during one of South Africa’s most transformative periods.”

Professor Bengu was born on 8 May 1934.