A memorial service for democratic South Africa's first education minister, Professor Sibusiso Bhengu, will be held in Esho, KwaZulu-Natal, on Thursday. He was granted a special second class official funeral.
Bhengu died last month at the age of 90 at his home in Mtuntsini.
education and land
In an interview with SABC News in 2019, he said the quality of education in South Africa had improved. But more needs to be done to achieve greater success, he said.
Sibusiso Bhengu, democratic South Africa's first education minister, said education and land are two key elements that the new government must address.
He told SABC News in 2019 that Nelson Mandela's government faced the immense challenge of creating a new education system for all people in the country.
Bhengu died last week at the age of 90 at his home in Mthunzini, on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that Bhengu would be given a Category 2 public funeral.
Professor Sibusiso Bhengu said: “I remember being surprised when I was appointed, but I knew that I was qualified for the job, I was educated, I was a member of the ANC, I was consulted. I know that,” he said. ANC members abroad and in South Africa and I knew exactly where to take this country. ”
A passionate educator, Mr Bhengu became a teacher in 1952 and founded Ndrangezwa High School near Empangeni in 1969.
He received his doctorate in political science from the School of International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1974. He was then appointed professor at the University of Zululand in 1977.
He returned to South Africa from exile in 1991 and became Vice-Chancellor of the University of Fort Hare. He was appointed Minister of Education in former President Nelson Mandela's cabinet in 1994.
Mr Bhengu spoke to SABC News about his role as Minister of Education in the first democratically elected cabinet. He said he wanted to create a system that included everyone.
Professor Sibusiso Bhengu said: “Another challenge came as a result of having different schools, 17 departments, different cultures, different languages, different money and having to have different teachers. , all of which were sources of education,” he recalled. Parents were frustrated that their children weren't receiving enough money, and the challenge was great, and I remember having to explain it all to a group of parents as a pastor. ”
Policy changes
Mr Bhengu implemented many major policy changes during his time as Education Minister. In 1997, he announced a revision of the national curriculum based on the New Curriculum 2005. It was an Outcome-Based Education (OBE) system. Although OBE faced significant challenges and was ultimately revised, it represented a bold attempt to transform education in this country and laid the foundations for future reforms.
Bhengu also passed a law banning corporal punishment. He does not regret banning corporal punishment in schools, despite criticism from many that it has contributed to social ills such as drug abuse, murder and rape. He argues that alternative punishment should be used instead of corporal punishment.
“I think the majority of educators are doing their best. I don't see any illness and there are some teachers who aren't doing their best. I see students getting distracted. (Some teachers are accusing me of passing a law banning corporal punishment; We forget that it was necessary to ban the use of corporal punishment, rather than hitting students, because the tension between students and teachers at that time made studying and learning impossible. We had the possibility of punishing students in different ways,'' Bhengu recalled.
“Family Man”
Bhengu's daughter Subusisiwe said she only had the chance to be with her father after he retired, but he was very supportive.
“He was an inspiration to us both in terms of education and we do our best to build on the principles that he gave us in everything we do so that we can achieve wherever we are and in many different ways. When it comes to his life, it wasn't as easy as it was for us.” “We were worried about him and his safety, but at the same time we supported him. Of course, having a father like him means he was always with us. It wasn't that much in terms of the time we spent together.”
His wife, Funeka Bhengu, described her husband as a family-oriented person.
“He was a health care provider, he was responsible for his family, he wanted to educate his kids, he wanted everyone to get a master’s degree, and they all had master’s degrees, and He had a degree beyond that. I think he fulfilled his role as a health care provider and as a man.''And he loved education. ”
Mr Bhengu will be buried on Friday in Mthunzini, on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal.
