EULOGY BY DEPUTY PRESIDENT SHIPOKOSA PAULUS MASHATILE AT THE OFFICIAL SPECIAL MEMORIAL SERVICE OF SADTU FOUNDING PRESIDENT AND FORMER MINISTER OF LABOUR MR MEMBATHISI SHEPHERD MDLADLANA, WESTERN CAPE, CAPE TOWN, 26 OCTOBER 2024
Programme Director;
The Mdladlana family;
Ministers and Deputy Ministers;
Members of Parliament;
Leadership of the African National Congress;
Leadership of the South African Democratic Teachers Union, the Alliance, and the Democratic Movement;
Members of the diplomatic corps;
Religious and community leaders;
Comrades and friends,
I stand before you today with a heavy heart to bid farewell to this great politician, teacher, and activist of our time, Membathisi Mphumzi Shepherd Mdladlana, who will be remembered for, among other things, ensuring that the educational system runs effectively.
His passing is another enormous loss for his family, the country, and the democratic movement. To those among us who have sipped from the well of his wisdom and insight, we extend our gratitude to his family for the grace of sharing him with us through both trials and triumphs.
In recent times, we have had to part ways with many of our guiding stars, companions, allies, and cherished souls who have traversed the tumultuous journey to illuminate the way toward our democracy.
They belonged to an illustrious generation of revolutionaries and servant leaders whose contribution to the liberation and development of South Africa remains immeasurable. These stalwarts set themselves on a course to liberate South Africa from tyranny.
What brings us solace and profound delight is that unlike many of their comrades, they have tasted the sweetness of freedom in their days. A tale I trust they shall weave upon reaching the other side, recounting to those who were not graced with such fortune to behold it.
Those who have recently departed achieved their mission and fulfilled their personal destinies. Yet their work—our work—is not yet complete.
The South Africa of true equality for all is still to be fully realised.
Just as embers from a fading fire can be used to ignite a new flame, we must take forward the cause to which so many dedicated their lives: the complete liberation of South Africa and her people.
Membathisi Shepherd Mdladlana was one of the leading lights in our struggle for liberation.
A gentle, unassuming disposition masked great reserves of inner strength.
He was the embodiment of resilience.
His life provided a lesson in the true nature of social justice: that one must seek for others what you seek for yourself.
It is little wonder that he was drawn to the labour movement from the earliest days of his career.
He understood that a thriving economy depends on the well-being of its workers. He fought to ensure that South Africa’s workforce received fair treatment and protection under the law.
During his tenure, he fully implemented the Basic Conditions of Employment Act of 1997, one of the most significant pieces of legislation. This Act guaranteed fair working hours, decent wages, and safeguards against exploitation for workers. In tandem with the Labour Relations Act of 1995, these laws strengthened workers’ rights and provided a clear framework for resolving labour disputes, which led to a reduction in industrial action and improved labour relations.
As an activist, a unionist, and a leader, Membathisi Mdladlana was able to transcend an unjust system.
He did it not for his own personal gain but for the benefit and improvement of others. He always reiterated the rallying cry that an injury to one is an injury to all.
This call inspired him, strengthened him, and gave him courage.
He was born into a world that sought to define his prospects.
It was a world designed to deny every black child the opportunity to develop and to thrive. Membathisi Mdladlana was just one year old when, in 1953, the apartheid regime passed one of its most damaging laws, the Bantu Education Act.
The drafters of this despicable law were clear on its intent.
The Minister of Native Affairs HF Verwoerd explained the rationale for the law. He said:
“The Bantu must be guided to serve his own community in all respects. There is no place for him in the European community above the level of certain forms of labour.”
This was the world Membathisi Mdladlana was born into, yet he ultimately defied.
He walked by faith rather than sight, as stated in the great book. He hoped and believed that South Africa would one day be free, and certainly it is today.
However, Bantu Education would have a lasting impact on generations of black children.
The man we lay to rest today was at the forefront of that struggle. He received Bantu Education as a child. He experienced its injustices firsthand, growing up in the former Bantustan of the Ciskei.
Membathisi would go on to train as a teacher.
In line with the philosophy of Bantu Education, training for black teachers was of a lower standard than that provided to white teachers.
When he completed his training and found work as a teacher, he entered a system where black teachers earned less, had fewer social benefits, and taught under worse conditions than their white counterparts.
But Membathisi would not surrender to a grim fate.
He chose to fight for change.
He chose to fight for the transformation of education and for the transformation of society.
He was a gifted people’s person.
He began organising teachers in Gugulethu and Crossroads in the late eighties, a time when the various teacher organisations were deeply divided along racial lines.
He was an organiser and leader in the South Western African Teachers Association, the Peninsula African Teachers Association and the Cape African Teachers Union.
He played a key role in the establishment of the South African Democratic Teacher’s Union in 1990 and spearheaded the negotiations that resulted in the union’s official recognition.
The declaration by SADTU of a national teachers’ strike in 1993 was a pivotal moment in our journey to democracy.
As it has been written, this was the first time a teacher’s organisation assumed centre-stage in the education struggle in pre-democracy South Africa.
It demonstrated the militancy of teachers in pursuit of better conditions of service and a transformed education system with free, quality public education at its core.
With Membathisi at the helm, the union tirelessly campaigned for the rights of female workers, and for them to enjoy the same rights as their male counterparts.
This is a proud legacy that continues to this day.
In its tribute to its founding president, SADTU has spoken of his conviction that teacher struggles should not undermine nor derail their mandate of delivering quality education.
As SADTU has said, he saw teachers as revolutionary professionals with an invaluable role to play in bringing about a more just, inclusive society.
He is known to have often said, “We can teach and strike at the same time.”
We must take heed of his words at a time when our education system still faces a number of challenges and when educators work under difficult conditions.
Taking forward the revolutionary principles of the democratic movement does not mean straying from our greater mandate—to serve the South African people.
In 1994, upon the inauguration of the first democratic parliament, his country called upon him to serve. He responded without hesitation.
Membathisi was part of the drafting committee of the Bill of Rights, the bedrock of our constitutional order. As a lifelong champion of human rights, it was fitting to assign him this responsibility.
We have lost one of the architects of the new South Africa.
Membathisi’s life teaches us much.
It teaches about servant leadership.
It teaches about an enduring commitment to public service without regard for personal reward.
Wherever his movement or his government deployed him, he served with diligence and integrity.
He served under four presidents of the democratic dispensation.
This reveals a great deal about his character and the faith and regard people had for him.
He hated injustice and took a stand against it wherever he saw it.
He served as Minister of Labour at a time when we had only just begun implementing laws to protect all workers and their rights.
A former staff member who served under him speaks about weeks spent criss-crossing the country visiting farms, factories, and mines to meet workers.
He convened the first national program for the elimination of silicosis, a deadly lung disease that affects workers in the mining and construction sectors.
During apartheid, black workers received no protection from employers or the state. Those who got ill were simply dismissed and sent home to die.
A democratic government implemented laws to promote workplace health and safety and to offer social support to employees who became ill or injured while on duty.
These are just some of the policies of redress Membathisi was tasked with implementing. As a champion of social justice, he advocated for them tirelessly.
We learn from his life about principled leadership in difficult times. He was a leader when South Africa was undergoing profound political and social change.
His life is a lesson on the importance of building bridges and uniting people.
Today we live in a free country. Yet we still have to navigate complex challenges.
We still have to realise a fully transformed and equal education system.
The unity of the South African people remains our highest aspiration, despite the fluctuations in our national life.
As political parties, we may not always agree on the best road to get there, but we share a common goal.
Achieving that goal—a better South Africa—is only possible through greater collaboration and unity.
As we lay Membathisi to rest, we should be inspired by his legacy.
To the family, we share in your sorrow.
Take comfort in the knowledge that he will be sorely missed as a loyal cadre of the movement, as a dedicated public servant, and as a fine individual, well-liked and much admired.
Let us pay tribute to his spirit by embracing the same unwavering dedication and zeal that he embodied in every moment of his journey. May his spirit find tranquillity, and may the echoes of his legacy illuminate the path for those yet to come.
May it be that we carry with us a new flame—a flame that lights the way to a better South Africa.
We strive for a society where everyone has equal rights, freedom, and opportunities.
In the words of Psalm 23, may goodness and mercy surely follow you.
May you dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
I thank you.