The Amazwi South African Museum of Literature is saddened to hear of the passing of the former South Africa minister of Arts and Culture, Dr Ben Ngubane, in the early hours of 12 July 2021.
A University of Natal-trained medical doctor and career politician (now UKZN), Ngubane served two tenures as Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology (later Minister of Arts and Culture) from 1994-1996 and 1999-2004. In the intervening years, Ngubane served as Premier of the KwaZulu-Natal Province and later went on to serve as South Africa’s Ambassador to Japan (2004-2008).
On January 24, 2000, during his second tenure as minister, Dr Ngubane visited the Museum (then the National English Literary Museum) in its former Beaufort Street premises. Here he is pictured with the late Professor Guy Butler, whose idea of creating a local repository for South African literary manuscripts and artefacts, would lead to the founding of the Museum in 1980.
Amazwi sends its condolences to the Ngubane family.
- Compiled by Andrew Martin, Amazwi Research Curator
a.martin@amazwi.museum 046 622 7042
