Ben Ngubane | |
|---|---|
 Richard Hollis and Ben Ngubane | |
| Ambassador to Japan | |
| In office 2004–2008 | |
| President | Thabo Mbeki |
| Succeeded by | Gert Grobler |
| Minister of Arts and Culture | |
| In office February 1999 – April 2004 | |
| Succeeded by | Pallo Jordan |
| 2ndPremier of KwaZulu-Natal | |
| In office 1 March 1997 – 9 February 1999 | |
| Preceded by | Frank Mdlalose |
| Succeeded by | Lionel Mtshali |
| Minister of Arts and Culture | |
| In office 11 May 1994 – 31 August 1996 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1941-10-22)22 October 1941 Camperdown, KwaZulu-Natal |
| Died | 12 July 2021(2021-07-12) (aged 79) |
| Political party | Inkatha Freedom Party (1976–2006) African National Congress |
| Spouse | Sheila Ngubane |
| Relations | Harriet Ngubane (sister) |
| Alma mater | University of Natal |
Baldwin Sipho "Ben" Ngubane (22 October 1941 – 12 July 2021)[1] was a politician from South Africa. He held multiple positions in thepost-apartheid government of the country. In particular, he wasPremier of KwaZulu-Natal from 1997 to 1999 andMinister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology from 1994 until 31 August 1996 and from February 1999 until April 2004.[2][3]
Baldwin Sipho "Ben" Ngubane was born in 1941 atInchanga Roman Catholic Mission inCamperdown outsidePietermaritzburg in what later becameKwaZulu-Natal province.[4] After attending St Francis High School, amission school in theDurban suburb ofMarianhill, he went to the Durban Medical School at theUniversity of Natal in Durban, where he obtained anMBChB in 1971.[5] He subsequently obtained diplomas in Tropical Medicine in 1982 and Public Health in 1983 from theUniversity of Witwatersrand inJohannesburg, South Africa. He furthermore received a master's degree of Family Medicine (M Prax Med) from Natal Medical School (now theNelson Mandela Medical School) in 1986 and apostgraduate diploma in Economics from theUniversity of London in 2003.[6]
While at the University of Natal, Ngubane was engaged in student politics, including through theNational Union of South African Students,[7] and he joinedInkatha in 1976.[4] In 1991 he was appointed Minister of Health in the government of theKwaZulu homeland, a post he held until 1994. In 1992 Ngubane was part of Inkatha's delegation toCODESA; he served on a working group which dealt with constitutional principles and constitution-making. In 1993 he was involved in negotiations with theAfrican National Congress (ANC) on behalf of Inkatha.[8]
He was the firstMinister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology in the post-apartheid period from 1994 to 1996 inNelson Mandela'sGovernment of National Unity.[9] Between 1997 and 1999, he wasPremier of KwaZulu-Natal; after that, he returned to the Arts and Culture portfolio until 2004.[6]
In 2004 he was appointed Ambassador to Japan,[5] until 2008.[10] He was viewed as having fallen out with Inkatha'sMangosuthu Buthelezi after he left the Premier's office, and in 2006 he defected to the ANC during afloor-crossing period.[11][4]
He later served as chairperson of theSouth African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) board[12] and as chairperson of theEskom board between 2015 and 2017.
In 2020, Ngubane was twice called to testify beforeThe Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture in his capacities as, first, former SABC board chairperson, then, secondly, as the chairman of Eskom.[13]
Ngubane died inRichards Bay on 12 July 2021 at the age of 79 fromCOVID-19 complications.[14][9]
He received an honoraryLLD degree from theUniversity of Natal in 1995. In 2010, Ngubane was awarded an honoraryPhD degree from theUniversity of the Free State for his "contribution towards positioning South Africa as a major and an influential player in the development of arts, culture, science and technology internationally".[15] Later that year he also received the Grand Cordon of the JapaneseOrder of the Rising Sun for his contributions "to the enhancement of the relationship and the cooperation in science and technology between Japan and South Africa".[16] He furthermore received an honoraryPhD degree fromUniversity of Zululand, an honoraryPhD degree fromSefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, and an honoraryDHL degree fromInternational Christian University (Tokyo, Japan).[6]
| Preceded by Tsotsi, Z.A. | Chairperson ofEskom board 2015–2017 | Succeeded by Khoza, Z. |