President Cyril Ramaphosa issued a grief-laden statement about the passing of one of his cabinet members, Deputy Minister Bavelile Hlongwa. Hlongwa perished on Friday night whilst trying to help people who were injured when their vehicle rolled. A flatbed truck is alleged to have mowed into the rolled vehicle, killing Hlongwa and four others on the spot.

“It is with profound shock and sadness that President Ramaphosa has learnt of the passing of the Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources, Ms Bavelile Hlongwa, who tragically lost her life in a motor vehicle accident yesterday, Friday 13 September 2019 on the N1 from Polokwane.

President Ramaphosa has expressed his most sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Deputy Minister Hlongwa, as well as the stakeholders in business, labour and community with whom she engaged in the mining sector.

The President has also expressed his condolences to the families of the four people who died with the Deputy Minister on scene while attempting to assist the passengers involved in another incident.

“The death of Deputy Minister Hlongwa is a devastating, untimely loss of a talented young leader who, alongside Minister Gwede Mantashe, was playing an important and dynamic role in an important sector of our economy,” said President Ramaphosa.

Ms Hlongwa was appointed as Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy with effect from 30 May 2019. Prior to her appointment she served as Executive Deputy Chairperson of the National Youth Development Agency.

She studied at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) Howard College where she obtained her Bachelors of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering. She started her career at Shell Downstream SA.

Deputy Minister Hlongwa will be honoured with an Official Funeral Category 2 in line with government’s State, Official and Provincial Funeral Policy. The President has further directed that the national flag shall fly at half-mast at every flag station in the country until the Deputy Minister is laid to rest.”