# Ben Ngubane

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**Baldwin Sipho "Ben" Ngubane** (22 October 1941 – 12 July 2021)[1] was a politician from South Africa. He held multiple positions in the [post-apartheid](/source/Post-apartheid) government of the country. In particular, he was [Premier of KwaZulu-Natal](/source/Premier_of_KwaZulu-Natal) from 1997 to 1999 and [Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology](/source/Minister_of_Arts_and_Culture) from 1994 until 31 August 1996 and from February 1999 until April 2004.[2][3]

## Early life and career

Baldwin Sipho "Ben" Ngubane was born in 1941 at [Inchanga](/source/Inchanga) Roman Catholic Mission in [Camperdown](/source/Camperdown,_KwaZulu-Natal) outside [Pietermaritzburg](/source/Pietermaritzburg) in what later became [KwaZulu-Natal province](/source/KwaZulu-Natal).[4] After attending St Francis High School, a [mission school](/source/Mission_school) in the [Durban](/source/Durban) suburb of [Marianhill](/source/Mariannhill), he went to the Durban Medical School at the [University of Natal](/source/University_of_Natal) in Durban, where he obtained an [MBChB](/source/Bachelor_of_Medicine,_Bachelor_of_Surgery) in 1971.[5] He subsequently obtained diplomas in Tropical Medicine in 1982 and Public Health in 1983 from the [University of Witwatersrand](/source/University_of_Witwatersrand) in [Johannesburg, South Africa](/source/Johannesburg,_South_Africa). He furthermore received a master's degree of Family Medicine (M Prax Med) from Natal Medical School (now the [Nelson Mandela Medical School](/source/University_of_KwaZulu-Natal#Nelson_Mandela_medical_school)) in 1986 and a [postgraduate diploma](/source/Postgraduate_diploma) in Economics from the [University of London](/source/University_of_London) in 2003.[6]

While at the University of Natal, Ngubane was engaged in student politics, including through the [National Union of South African Students](/source/National_Union_of_South_African_Students),[7] and he joined [Inkatha](/source/Inkatha_Freedom_Party) in 1976.[4] In 1991 he was appointed Minister of Health in the government of the [KwaZulu](/source/KwaZulu) homeland, a post he held until 1994. In 1992 Ngubane was part of Inkatha's delegation to [CODESA](/source/CODESA); he served on a working group which dealt with constitutional principles and constitution-making. In 1993 he was involved in negotiations with the [African National Congress](/source/African_National_Congress) (ANC) on behalf of Inkatha.[8]

## Career in government

He was the first [Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology](/source/Minister_of_Arts_and_Culture) in the post-[apartheid](/source/Apartheid) period from 1994 to 1996 in [Nelson Mandela](/source/Nelson_Mandela)'s [Government of National Unity](/source/Government_of_National_Unity_(South_Africa)).[9] Between 1997 and 1999, he was [Premier of KwaZulu-Natal](/source/Premier_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's [Mangosuthu Buthelezi](/source/Mangosuthu_Buthelezi) after he left the Premier's office, and in 2006 he defected to the ANC during a [floor-crossing](/source/Crossing_the_floor) period.[11][4]

He later served as chairperson of the [South African Broadcasting Corporation](/source/South_African_Broadcasting_Corporation) (SABC) board[12] and as chairperson of the [Eskom](/source/Eskom) board between 2015 and 2017.

In 2020, Ngubane was twice called to testify before [The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture](/source/The_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 in [Richards Bay](/source/Richards_Bay) on 12 July 2021 at the age of 79 from [COVID-19 complications](/source/COVID-19).[14][9]

## Honours

He received an honorary [LLD](/source/Doctor_of_Laws) degree from the [University of Natal](/source/University_of_Natal) in 1995. In 2010, Ngubane was awarded an honorary [PhD](/source/Doctor_of_Philosophy) degree from the [University of the Free State](/source/University_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 Japanese [Order of the Rising Sun](/source/Order_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 honorary [PhD](/source/Doctor_of_Philosophy) degree from [University of Zululand](/source/University_of_Zululand), an honorary [PhD](/source/Doctor_of_Philosophy) degree from [Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University](/source/Sefako_Makgatho_Health_Sciences_University), and an honorary [DHL](/source/Doctor_of_Humane_Letters) degree from [International Christian University](/source/International_Christian_University) ([Tokyo, Japan](/source/Tokyo,_Japan)).[6]

## Personal life

Ngubane was [Catholic](/source/Catholic_Church).[7]

## References

1. ["SA History Online"](http://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/dr-ben-ngubane-born). Retrieved 30 January 2013.

1. ["GCIS Profile Information"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160305060508/http://apps.gcis.gov.za/gcis/gcis_profile.jsp?id=3601). Archived from [the original](http://apps.gcis.gov.za/gcis/gcis_profile.jsp?id=3601) on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 30 January 2013.

1. ["Former KZN premier Ben Ngubane dies from Covid-19"](https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/former-kzn-premier-ben-ngubane-dies-from-covid-19-5266a7d1-0578-47a0-bee9-26582ad4ec83). *www.iol.co.za*. Retrieved 12 July 2021.

1. ["Ben Ngubane - an angry man"](https://www.news24.com/news24/newsmaker-ben-ngubane-an-angry-man-20170618-2). *News24*. 18 June 2017. Retrieved 2022-11-21.

1. ["O'Malley archives"](http://www.nelsonmandela.org/omalley/index.php/site/q/03lv02424/04lv02426/05lv02618.htm). Retrieved 30 January 2013.

1. [Curriculum Vitae of Baldwin Sipho "Ben" Ngubane](https://static.pmg.org.za/docs/2009/ngubane.pdf) - website Parliamentary Monitoring Group

1. Johnson, R. W. (1998). ["Interview: Ben Ngubane"](https://hsf.org.za/publications/focus/issue-10-second-quarter-1998/interview-ben-ngubane). *Focus*. **10**. Helen Suzman Foundation.

1. ["Database Error"](http://www.nelsonmandela.org/omalley/index.php/site/q/03lv02424/04lv02426/05lv02618.htm). *www.nelsonmandela.org*. Retrieved 9 January 2018.

1. Barron, Chris (18 July 2021). ["Ben Ngubane: Captured by state capture"](https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/opinion-and-analysis/2021-07-18-ben-ngubane-captured-by-state-capture/) (in en-ZA). *Sunday Times*. Retrieved 2022-11-21.

1. ["New storm breaks over Ngubane"](http://mg.co.za/article/2010-05-28-sabc-new-board-old-chaos). Mail and Guardian. 28 May 2010. Retrieved 30 January 2013.

1. ["IFP accuses KZN premier Sihle Zikalala of 'hatred' for ignoring IFP premiers"](https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2019-05-23-ifp-accuses-kzn-premier-sihle-zikalala-of-hatred-for-ignoring-ifp-premiers/) (in en-ZA). *Sunday Times*. 23 May 2019. Retrieved 2022-11-21.

1. ["Ben Ngubane | Who's Who SA"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120917154045/http://www.whoswho.co.za/ben-ngubane-37404). *www.whoswho.co.za*. Archived from [the original](http://www.whoswho.co.za/ben-ngubane-37404) on 2012-09-17.

1. ["WATCH: Ben Ngubane expected back at state capture inquiry"](https://www.enca.com/news/livestream-ben-ngubane-expected-back-at-state-capture-inquiry). *ENCA*. 10 September 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020.[dead link]

1. McCain, Nicole (July 12, 2021). ["Former KwaZulu-Natal premier Dr Ben Ngubane dies of Covid-19 complications"](https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/former-kwazulu-natal-premier-dr-ben-ngubane-dies-of-covid-19-complications-20210712). *News24.com*. Retrieved July 12, 2021.

1. [UFS honours Dr Ben Ngubane](https://www.ufs.ac.za/templates/news-archive/campus-news/2019/february/worldmothertongueday-celebrating-your-native-langue-mother-tongue?NewsItemID=1745) - website of the University of the Free State

1. ["2010 Autumn Conferment of Decorations on Foreign Nationals"](http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/announce/2010/11/pdfs/110301.pdf). Japanese Government. Retrieved 8 March 2013.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ben Ngubane](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Ngubane) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Ngubane?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.