Randall van den Heever
{{Short description|South African politician and trade unionist (born 1950)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| party = African National Congress
| office1 = Member of the National Assembly
| termstart1 = May 1994
| termend1 = May 2009
| citizenship = South Africa
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|08|15|df=yes}}
| birth_name = Randall Paul Zachariaden van den Heever
| office2 = Deputy Provincial Chairperson of the Western Cape African National Congress
| 1blankname2 = Chairperson
| 1namedata2 = James Ngculu
| successor2 = Lynne Brown
| predecessor2 = Nomatyala Hangana
| termstart2 = June 2005
| termend2 = September 2008
}}
Randall Paul Zachariaden van den Heever (born 15 August 1950) is a South African politician and former trade unionist. Formerly the general secretary of the South African Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu), he represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly from 1994 to 2009. He also served as deputy provincial chairperson of the ANC's Western Cape branch from 2005 to 2008.
Early life and career
Born on 15 August 1950,{{cite magazine |date=11 June 1999 |title=General Notice: Notice 1319 of 1999 – Electoral Commission: Representatives Elected to the Various Legislatures |url=https://gazettes.africa/archive/za/1999/za-government-gazette-dated-1999-06-11-no-20203.pdf |magazine=Government Gazette of South Africa |location=Pretoria, South Africa |publisher=Government of South Africa |volume=408 |issue=20203 |pages= |access-date=26 March 2021}} van den Heever was a teacher by profession.{{Cite news |date=13 May 2005 |title=Western Cape no stranger to ANC in-fighting |work=IOL |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/western-cape-no-stranger-to-anc-in-fighting-241091 |access-date=21 May 2023}} He rose to prominence as the general secretary of Sadtu during the early 1990s,{{Cite web |date=7 August 1991 |title=South African teachers' union demands color blind education |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1991/08/07/South-African-teachers-union-demands-color-blind-education/9574681537600/ |access-date=2023-05-21 |website=UPI |language=en}} and he was arrested during a 1992 union sit-in.
National Assembly: 1994–2009
In South Africa's first post-apartheid elections in 1994, van den Heever was elected to represent the ANC in the National Assembly.{{Cite book |url=https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/13429370/south-africa-campaign-and-election-report-april-26- |title=South Africa: Campaign and Election Report April 26–29, 1994 |publisher=International Republican Institute |year=1994 |access-date=13 April 2023 |via=Yumpu}} He served three terms in his seat, gaining re-election in 1999 and 2004;{{cite magazine |date=20 April 2004 |title=General Notice: Notice 717 of 2004 - Electoral Commission – List of Names of Representatives in the National Assembly and the Nine Provincial Legislatures in Respect of the Elections Held on 14 April 2004 |url=https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201409/262770.pdf |magazine=Government Gazette of South Africa |location=Pretoria, South Africa |publisher=Government of South Africa |volume=466 |issue=2677 |pages=4–95 |access-date=26 March 2021}} though elected off the ANC's national party list, he manned the party's constituency office in the Northern Cape's Karoo District.
Western Cape ANC: 2005–2008
At an early stage in his third term in Parliament, van den Heever was drawn into factional infighting in the Western Cape branch of the ANC, then divided between supporters of incumbent provincial chairperson Ebrahim Rasool and supporters of Rasool's rival, provincial secretary Mcebisi Skwatsha. In May 2005, Skwatsha's ally, Max Ozinsky, chaired a meeting of the pro-Skwatsha camp which devised a slate of candidates for election to top leadership positions in the provincial party; van den Heever appeared on the list, initially as the slate's candidate for election as deputy provincial secretary.{{Cite news |date=12 May 2005 |title=ANC peacemakers to tackle growing party rift |work=IOL |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/anc-peacemakers-to-tackle-growing-party-rift-240966 |access-date=21 May 2023}}
When the Western Cape ANC held its next provincial elective conference in June of that year, Skwatsha's slate made a clean sweep of the top positions, and van den Heever was elected to deputise James Ngculu as deputy provincial chairperson.{{Cite news |date=13 June 2005 |title=New ANC chief vows to heal the deep divide |work=IOL |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/new-anc-chief-vows-to-heal-the-deep-divide-243659 |access-date=21 May 2023}} He served a single term in the party office and was replaced by Lynne Brown at the ANC's next provincial elective conference in September 2008.{{Cite web |date=2008-09-29 |title=Western Cape ANC denies obvious rift |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2008-09-29-western-cape-anc-denies-obvious-rift/ |access-date=2022-11-29 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}
References
{{Reflist}}
Category:African National Congress politicians
Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 1994–1999
Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 1999–2004
Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2004–2009
Category:South African trade unionists
{{DEFAULTSORT:van den Heever, Randall}}