Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read

📷 Political analyst Angelo Fick unpacks the ANC’s leadership crisis, controversy around the NPA appointment, and South Africa’s place in a rapidly shifting global order during the latest ASRI Report.

As South Africa enters a politically charged new year, fundamental questions are emerging about power, accountability and the country’s place in a rapidly changing global order. Speaking on the ASRI Report, political analyst Angelo Fick unpacked the African National Congress’s (ANC) post-election reality, controversy around the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) appointment, and growing global instability.

Marking its 114th anniversary, the ANC does so after suffering a historic setback in the 2024 national elections, losing its parliamentary majority for the first time since 1994. According to Fick, the party’s most pressing challenge is its ageing leadership. He described the ANC as facing a “gerontocracy,” noting that many of its top leaders, including Gwede Mantashe and President Cyril Ramaphosa, are in their 60s.

Fick argued that despite the electoral warning from voters, there appears to be little urgency within the party to meaningfully renew its leadership ahead of the 2026 local government elections. “The majority of South Africans are now under the age of 30,” he said, adding that political relevance depends on leadership that understands the lived realities of younger generations. Issues such as climate change, migration and global instability, he noted, are shaping the future in ways older leadership structures are ill-equipped to address.

Turning to governance, Fick weighed in on opposition parties’ objections to President Ramaphosa’s appointment of advocate Andy Mothibi as head of the NPA. While he does not believe the appointment is unconstitutional, he questioned the transparency of the process. Concerns have been raised about the late establishment of a nine-person advisory panel and the exclusion of Mothibi from the initial shortlist, despite his experience within the State Information Unit (SIU).

Fick also highlighted age as a recurring theme in public appointments. At 63, Mothibi’s appointment, he argued, sends a troubling message to younger professionals in a country where power remains concentrated among those nearing or past retirement age. “It’s almost as if age has become the glass ceiling,” he said.

On the international front, Fick warned that unilateral actions by the United States, including withdrawals from multilateral institutions, signal a destabilising shift towards a unipolar world. He cautioned South African politicians against simplistic Cold War-style narratives and stressed that diplomacy is driven by “interest and survival,” not morality. With the US not being South Africa’s largest trading partner, he argued that economic alignment with Europe and China remains critical.

Bringing the discussion home, Fick addressed education challenges, particularly the delayed release of matric results. He questioned why results are still published only when schools reopen, arguing that earlier release would allow better planning for schools and reduce psychological strain on learners.

The ASRI Report concludes that South Africa faces intertwined domestic and global pressures, demanding leadership renewal, transparent governance and strategic international alignment in an increasingly volatile world.