Belinda Bozzoli facts for kids

Belinda Bozzoli (born 17 December 1945 – died 5 December 2020) was a smart South African woman who did many important things. She was a writer, a university professor, a sociologist (someone who studies how people live in groups), and a politician. She worked at the University of the Witwatersrand as a high-ranking leader, like a deputy principal, starting in 2002.

In 2014, Bozzoli became a member of the South African parliament for the Democratic Alliance party. From 2019, she was the Shadow Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology. A Shadow Minister is a member of the opposition party who watches over a specific government department.

Early Life and Education

Belinda Bozzoli was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 17 December 1945. Her parents, Guerino Renzo and Cora Bertha Bozzoli, were both Italian South Africans.

She studied at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, where she earned her first degrees. Later, she went to the University of Sussex to get her Master's and PhD degrees. She also spent time as a special researcher at Yale University in the United States from 1978 to 1979.

Academic Career

Belinda Bozzoli was a very successful academic. She wrote three books by herself that were published around the world. She also helped edit four other books. In total, she published 26 articles on different topics.

In the late 1990s, Bozzoli became the head of the sociology department at the University of the Witwatersrand. From 2001 to 2003, she led the School of Social Sciences. In 2002, she became the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, which is a very senior leadership role at a university. She also led the board of the National Research Foundation for a while. In 2006, she received a special A-rating from the National Research Foundation, being the first sociologist to get this honor. Bozzoli also worked as the acting director of the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research.

Political Career

In 2014, Belinda Bozzoli decided to enter politics. She ran for a seat in the South African Parliament as part of the Democratic Alliance (DA) party. She won a seat in the parliament during the election.

After being elected, she became the Shadow Minister of Higher Education and Training. She was also a member of the committee that looked at higher education and training issues. In October 2016, she spoke out about the government's policy on universities. She said that government funding for universities had dropped, leading to money problems, bigger classes, and higher fees for students.

Bozzoli was elected to Parliament again in 2019. She was then made the Shadow Minister for the new Higher Education, Science, and Technology department. In June 2020, she raised concerns about the government's plan to cancel a large amount of student debt. She agreed that low-income students should have their debts forgiven, but she wondered if the plan would also help students from wealthy families who could afford to pay back their loans. She was also worried about how this would affect funding for universities.

Death

Belinda Bozzoli passed away on 5 December 2020, just twelve days before her 75th birthday. She continued to work in politics even during her final illness. She is remembered by her husband, Charles van Onselen, and their three children.

See also

In Spanish: Belinda Bozzoli para niños