Analyst: ANC short on credible leaders as Ramaphosa faces appointment backlash

President Cyril Ramaphosa has come under fire for recent appointments to senior positions, and a political analyst told The Citizen this week that the ruling African National Congress is suffering from a shortage of credible leaders.

Controversial appointments

Critics questioned Mr Ramaphosa after he appointed Dina Pule as minister of social development. Pule was fired by former president Jacob Zuma in 2013 for corruption, maladministration and breaking the parliamentary code of ethics.

Shortly after, Mr Ramaphosa named Ayanda Dlodlo as South Africa’s ambassador to France. According to the report, Dlodlo has been linked to dodgy characters implicated in state capture and has been accused of trying to cover up evidence related to state capture.

Analyst: leadership deficit in the ANC

Political analyst Theo Neethling told The Citizen the ANC is experiencing a “serious shortage of strong and effective political leadership.”

“The ANC is currently exhibiting a serious shortage of strong and effective political leadership. The recent appointment of Dina Pule as Minister of Social Development has been cited by critics as further evidence of this broader leadership deficit. Equally telling is the persistent observation that no clear or compelling successor to Cyril Ramaphosa has emerged within the party,” said Neethling.

Problems beyond the national level

Neethling said the party’s leadership problems are visible at local level as well. He cited difficulties in municipal governance and said the ANC has struggled to provide stable and effective governance in municipalities of all sizes.

The report notes that in the Johannesburg metropolitan municipality, Executive Mayor Dada Morero has faced sustained criticism over financial management and broader governance challenges, a situation Neethling said reinforces the sense that the party’s problems are systemic.

From 1994 to a difficult transition

Neethling contrasted the ANC’s present condition with its position at the 1994 democratic elections. He said the party then had leaders of “exceptional political stature,” naming Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki as examples.

“Most of the leaders whose political legitimacy was forged during the anti-apartheid struggle have now left the political stage. President Ramaphosa represents one of the last prominent figures from that generation who remains at the centre of the party’s leadership,” Neethling said.

He warned that the ANC’s weakening electoral performance indicates many former supporters have lost confidence in the party’s ability to provide effective leadership and governance, and said the party needs to develop a new generation of leaders to reverse its decline.