by Thinus Ferreira
Marinus Wijnbeek, former science editor at South Africa's public broadcaster and presenter of the Afrikaans science series Brandkluis in the 1970's has died. He was 80.
Marinus Wijnbeek died in the Netherlands on Sunday, where he was born, and where he immigrated to in 1996 after leaving South Africa.
His wife, Annatjie confirmed his death on Facebook in a post.
Marinus Wijnbeek was a well-known scientist, journalist and SABC TV presenter when television started in South Africa. He was a university lecturer for 9 years before he joined the SABC as science editor.
In 1979 the SABC started broadcasting the science magazine show Brandkluis (Fire Safe) for 4 seasons on the then TV1 in which Marinus Wijnbeek as presenter unpacked various science subjects, from electronics and algorithms to colour, numbers, energy and even the Fibonacci sequence.
Several Brandkluis episodes are available on YouTube.
Marinus Wijnbeek was born on 28 August 1939 in The Hague, but emigrated with his parents to South Africa in 1949 when he was 10. He attained a B.Sc degree in chemistry and physics and later other degrees.
