South Africans have been mourning the loss of Bavelile Hlongwa, who served as the Deputy Minister of Minerals and Energy. Hlongwa died in a car crash in mid-September.
Hlongwa was appointed as Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy in 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 was honored with an Official Funeral Category 2 in line with government’s State, Official and Provincial Funeral Policy. The national flag also hung at half-mast at every flag station in the country until the Deputy Minister was laid to rest.