MINISTER NZIMANDE STATEMENT ON THE DEATH
OF PROF BELINDA BOZZOLI
The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande passes his heartfelt condolences to the Bozzoli family, friends, and to her party, the Democratic Alliance, following the death of Prof Belinda Bozzoli who died on Friday, 04 December 2020, following a long battle with cancer. Prof Bozzoli was a Member of Parliament since May 2014 and currently serving her second term as a Member of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Science, and Technology.
Although we had our own political, ideological, and even intellectual differences, she always sought to back up all her arguments mostly with facts and empirical evidence, like a true academic. I always found robust debates with her also very informative. She was indeed a very important member of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Science and Technology.
Prof Bozzoli had enormous experience in the higher education, science and technology landscape, having been a university academic and a highly rated National Research Foundation Researcher. At the height of her distinguished academic career she became the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Witwatersrand in 2002, and chaired the Board of the National Research Foundation for some time. Parliament will indeed be poorer without her experience in the higher education, science and innovation landscape.
“One of the many issues that Prof Bozzoli agreed with us were our plans to save the 2020 academic year and our work to combat the COVID 19 pandemic undertaken by the Department of Science and Innovation, but was also very concerned about the negative impact of the budget cuts on the quality of higher education”, Minster Nzimande said.
Issued by:
Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
