Bhekisisa Maxwell Thabethe was born in Eshowe on 1st February 1968.
Early life and education
He did his sub-standard A and sub-standard B at Habeni Bantu Combined School. He then did his lower primary education at Fundakahle LP School. His higher primary education was at Mthethweni HP School where he became a boy scout. During this time, he excelled in neatness and marching and was appointed as a trainer for Secondary Education. He then went to oGwini Comprehensive School. During this period, he joined gospel music as a singer and worked with a number of gospel groups in Durban. Dr Thabethe holds:
- an NTC 5 from Swinton Road Technical
- a STD Teachers Diploma from Indumiso College of Education
- a Diploma (Education Management Diploma) from Pretoria University
- a Diploma in Technology Education from UKZN
- a BeD (Hons) in Education Management Law and Policy from Pretoria University and
- a BeD (Hons) in Technology Education from UKZN.
Civil rights champion
Maxwell Thabethe is the champion of the civil rights of the people living with disabilities in KwaZulu-Natal. He is the Chairperson of Albinism Society of South Africa in KwaZulu-Natal (ASSA-KZN) and is at the forefront of the struggle to see the integration of ASSA into municipality and government structures, and to implement equity policies and to empower people with Albinism in KZN. Thabethe is also currently the PA of a Bishop in Agape Fellowship and lecturing in Technology Education Department of UKZN.
Thabethe completed a study, Weziwe Thusi, that was endorsed by the MEC for the Department of Social Development (DSD), that tackles teaching Technology and Mathematics within deaf schools. On this research, he underlined that:
“there is always a cry in our growing democracy that technology skills in South Africa are lacking, yet there is a non-utilised human resource in disabled communities. My hypothesis is that we need to conduct research in disabled communities so that we can provide therapeutic support that will enhance an appropriate understanding of gateway subjects to vulnerable population”.
Dr. Thabethe is also a board member of Skin Cancer Foundation of South Africa. This foundation is aimed at implementing a National Skin Cancer Screening Day which is held in September every year. Facilitating these events and projects requires the special skills and insights that Dr. Thabethe and his team in KZN have.