Ruth Bhengu | |
|---|---|
| Member of the National Assembly | |
| In office 6 May 2009 – 7 May 2019 | |
| In office June 1999 – 1 August 2005 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 May 1952 Pietermaritzburg, Natal Union of South Africa |
| Political party | African National Congress |
| Other political affiliations | South African National Civics Organisation |
| Children | Nozipho Bhengu (d. 2006) |
Nozabelo Ruth Bhengu (born 24 May 1952), formerly known as Ruth Ntshulana-Bhengu, is a South African politician and businesswoman who represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly until 2019. She is also a former president of the South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) and was a member of the ANC's National Executive Committee from 2007 to 2022.
Bhengu's first stint in Parliament lasted from June 1999 until August 2005, when she resigned after being convicted of defrauding Parliament in the Travelgate scandal. During that period, she became famous for a 2001 parliamentary speech in which she disclosed that her daughter, Nozipho Bhengu, was HIV-positive. After leaving Parliament, she served as deputy mayor of Ugu District Municipality from 2006 to 2009. Until then SANCO's deputy president, she was elected to the organisation's presidency in December 2008.
She returned to Parliament in 2009 as a prominent supporter of newly elected President Jacob Zuma. She served two consecutive terms before failing to gain re-election in the 2019 general election.