SADTU STATEMENT ON THE PASSING OF COMRADE RANDALL PAUL ZACHARIADEN VAN DEN HEEVER
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) mourns the passing of its founding General Secretary, Comrade Randall Paul Zachariaden van den Heever. A true revolutionary, Comrade Randall was a trailblazer whose unwavering commitment and visionary leadership laid the foundation for what SADTU is today.
His departure has come hardly two months after the death of the Union’s founding president, Comrade Membathisi Shepherd Mdladlana. Together, they symbolised the spirit of unity and resilience that shaped SADTU’s legacy.
As the Union’s first General Secretary, Comrade Randall epitomised the spirit of resistance and transformation during the Union’s and the country’s most challenging times in our union and nation’s history. Under the oppressive apartheid regime when the Nationalist party refused to recognize SADTU, he stood firm leading from the front. His courage was evident during demonstrations and sit-ins which saw him arrested in one sit-in in 1992.
He was part of the national leadership that led SADTU’s first national strike in May 1993 after various local strikes over unbearable working conditions in various educations departments that were divided by race and ethnicity .
Before the formation of SADTU, comrade Randall held a leadership position in the conservative coloured Cape Teachers Professional Association (CTPA) which resisted to shut down and be part of a unitary non-racial teacher union SADTU as it felt this would compromise teacher professionalism as it was opposed to strikes.
However , comrade Randall’s belief in justice and equality made him to leave and join SADTU, championing its vision for a united and democratic South Africa.
A teacher by profession and a revolutionary professional by calling, he dedicated his life to uniting teachers and dismantling the racial divisions that plagued the education sector. His strategic leadership and relentless pursuit of justice during the height of apartheid remain a shining example of selfless service to the working class.
Comrade Randall’s contribution extended beyond SADTU. As a Member of the National Assembly from 1994 to 2005 representing the ANC and later as a servant of the ANC at the branch level in the Western Cape from 2005 to 2008, he embodied the ideals of liberation and transformation in every space he occupied.
His legacy is one of courage, unity, and a steadfast commitment to education as a tool for liberation. The loss of such a towering figure in the struggle for equality and justice is deeply felt, but his revolutionary spirit will forever inspire us to continue the fight for a transformed and equitable education system.
Comrade Randall’s name will remain etched in the annals of SADTU. As we bid farewell to this revolutionary stalwart, we reaffirm our commitment to the ideals of justice, equality, and unity that he championed.
Hamba Kahle, Comrade Randall.
ISSUED BY: SADTU SECRETARIAT