Qualified or battle-tested? What makes a politician fit to lead?
The qualifications debate: What makes a politician fit to lead?
Image: InShot
South African politics is fraught with squabbles and fights among the titans in different political parties. Some of the contentious issues that always crop up are that of academic qualifications or lack thereof and politicians' age.
It is not uncommon for ministers to head a ministry for which they have no qualifications.
This has drawn criticism from a senior political science lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Zakhele Ndlovu, who believes academic qualifications are a prerequisite for good leadership in the political arena.
"Experience and qualifications do matter. The problem is that the African National Congress (ANC) had no governance experience when it assumed power in 1994. What made matters worse is that ANC deployees also lacked relevant qualifications. 90% of our lawmakers have no law background and these MPs also vote on the budget without any knowledge of it," Ndlovu said.
He claimed that these members are essentially 'voting fodder' who merely follow the party line.
In contrast, in a country like China a political hopeful needs to typically have decades of experience in provincial leadership and academic credentials in engineering, law, economics, or Marxist theory to make a big splash.
"Leadership in China is determined by a combination of legal mandate and political merit, ensuring those who rise to the highest offices are proven in governance, ideology, and loyalty to the Party," said China's State Council Information Office in 2023.
New Patriotic Alliance (PA) member Liam Jacobs recently alluded that Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen (49) is incompetent and questioned his academic achievements and merit.
"I have an honours degree, at that point I was in politics for seven years, and I get told by somebody that just has matric, who is a trust fund baby also, 'we are so happy to be where we are because in the DA, we don't do representivity'," said the 24-year-old.
However, the DA has consistently shot down such attacks. Spokesperson Willie Aucamp said that their opponents are clinging to sideline politics because they have nothing else to attack.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Next
Stay
Close ✕
"Minister Steenhuisen has been a member of the city council. He was the youngest person ever elected to that position. He served there for many years. He was a member of the provincial legislature in KwaZulu-Natal, serving on various portfolios.
"He was the provincial leader of the DA in KZN and became a member of Parliament for several terms. Those parties saying you can't do that without matric must give that accusation to any matriculant out there and tell them they do not expect them to perform," said Aucamp.
Additionally, Ndlovu also told IOL that he takes issue with cabinet appointments where people are being 'recycled'.
"Take Angie Motshekga (70), she was Minister of Education and then she was appointed as the Minister of Defence without any background in defence or military.
"Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma (75) is another example, she served as Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Home Affairs and then at the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA.) This is crazy," Ndlovu said.
IOL Politics Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
2 hours ago
- The Citizen
News today: 28 June 2025
Here's your daily news update for 28 June 2025. An easy-to-read selection of our top stories. In today's news update, the DA has escalated tensions within the GNU, withdrawing from the National Dialogue and resolving to vote against departmental budgets for what it terms 'corrupt ANC Ministers.' Additionally, seven people were killed in a mass shooting on Saturday morning at a house in Gugulethu, Cape Town. Stay up to date with The Citizen – More News, Your Way. News today: 28 June 2025 Leaving GNU would cause 'coalition of chaos', says Steenhuisen as DA escalates pressure Leader of the DA John Steenhuisen (C) and Federal Council Chairperson Helen Zille (R) hold a press conference on 28 January 2025. Picture: Phill Magakoe / AFP The Democratic Alliance (DA) has escalated tensions within the Government of National Unity (GNU), withdrawing from the National Dialogue and resolving to vote against departmental budgets for what it terms 'corrupt ANC Ministers.' DA leader John Steenhuisen announced the moves on Saturday, warning that leaving the GNU would create a 'coalition of chaos' but signaling his party's growing frustration with President Cyril Ramaphosa's leadership. Continue reading here Outrage after seven people killed in mass shooting in Gugulethu Picture: iStock Seven people were killed in a mass shooting on Saturday morning at a house in Gugulethu, Cape Town. Police said they were alerted to the shooting in the early hours of Saturday morning. Continue reading here Malema promises urgent aid for Mthatha flood victims, calls on the wealthy to help Julius Malema and King Dalindyebo addressing Mthatha flood victims. Image: EFF/X page Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has pledged to find urgent solutions for flood victims in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, following devastating floods that have claimed lives and destroyed infrastructure. During a visit to the region on Saturday, Malema was welcomed by King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo at Nkululekweni Palace ahead of a briefing on the flood's impact. Continue reading here A dream come true: matric student Mollwane Madiba with his date, Tyla, at his matric dance. Picture: @BALUCIAGA/X Dreams come true for those who are persistent and patient enough. These words hold true for matric student Mollwane Madiba. After months of campaigning like a politician in election season and with a child-like conviction that was borderline delusional, Madiba's dream of having Grammy award-winning singer Tyla as his matric dance partner came true. Continue reading here Springbok wing Kurt-Lee Arendse in action against the Barbarians on Saturday. Picture: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images The Springboks open their 2025 season with a match against the invitational Barbarians at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday, with kick-off at 5.10pm. The Boks will be captained by Jesse Kriel after regular skipper Siya Kolisi was ruled out of the match with an injury. Continue reading here Here are five more stories of the day: Yesterday's News recap READ HERE: Top 10 stories of the day: Kamogelo Baukudi found alive | Floyd defends relationship with Bishop Zondo | Eight MPs fined
Mail & Guardian
2 hours ago
- Mail & Guardian
DA will not leave GNU or table motion against Ramaphosa despite Whitfield firing
DA Leader John Steenhuisen. (Delwyn Verasamy / M&G) Despite feeling hard-done-by over the firing of one of its deputy ministers, the Democratic Alliance (DA) says it will not leave the government of national unity (GNU) or table a motion of no confidence against President However, the party said on Saturday it was withdrawing from a DA leader The DA had earlier in the week — after Whitfield's axing — given Ramaphosa a 48-hour ultimatum to similarly fire corruption‑accused ministers Ramaphosa responded that he would not be swayed by threats or ultimatums, insisting that he had acted within his constitutional powers in letting Whitfield go. On Saturday Steenhuisen said the DA would remain in the GNU despite how it had been treated, arguing that leaving would open South Africa to a 'coalition of chaos and destruction' with disastrous consequences, through the inclusion of radical parties such as the 'We've said to South Africans when we went into the GNU that we're here for the best interests of South Africa,' he said. 'We do not believe that it is the best interest of South Africa for the current GNU to collapse and for a coalition of chaos or corruption to follow, because the feeding frenzy that would then result from MK or the EFF getting into office and other parties will be significant.' But he added: 'Things have to change. They cannot stay the same as they are, and the ANC needs to start realizing that we are part of a coalition. Being part of a coalition means that you show respect to your coalition partners. I have shown nothing but respect to the president throughout the term of the GNU, and we will continue to do so — but it is only fair that respect is reciprocated.' Steenhuisen dared Ramaphosa to eject the DA out of the coalition government, telling journalists: 'If the ANC wants to kick the DA out for fighting corruption, well, so be it.' He said tabling a motion of no confidence against Ramaphosa was still on the table. 'We understand the concerns that many South Africans have about what will follow once Ramaphosa is removed from office. However, I want to be honest that, in the DA's view, the president is failing to uphold his word to act against corruption and fast becoming indistinguishable from the 'Now, while the federal executive decided not to table a motion of no confidence at this stage, it is clear that the DA is losing confidence in the president's ability to act as a leader — not only of the ANC but of the GNU, of which we are the second-largest component.' The DA also announced its withdrawal from the national dialogue which is expected to bring citizens together to address corruption, gender-based violence, unemployment, and other social ills. 'It is clear the dialogue will be nothing more than a waste of time and money — a distraction from ANC failures. This explains why they are so obsessed with it; it's clearly an electioneering ploy at taxpayers' expense to gloss over the serious crises they have plunged South Africa into,' Steenhuisen said. 'The dialogue has no constitutional standing to impose decisions. Frankly, if the president cannot meaningfully engage with his coalition partners, there is little point pretending this is anything more than an ANC-run national dialogue.' He added that the DA would mobilise civil society to oppose what he called an 'obscene waste' of over R700 million of public funds. It would demand that the dialogue not proceed unless Ramaphosa removed corrupt ANC individuals from the national executive. 'The reality is, no matter what the dialogue resolves — no matter how many noble resolutions or feel-good moments — it will not bring meaningful change if the same corrupt individuals remain in cabinet. The people of South Africa should not be taken for fools.' The DA would also vote against upcoming budget proposals for departments led by Simelane, Nkabane, and other corruption‑accused ministers and persist until those ministers were removed, Steenhuisen said. He defended Whitfield for his US trip, which he said was not a government one. 'He went to a party function—there were no meetings at the White House or anything of that nature. He was there as a member of the DA. It was a party-funded trip, not paid for by the government, and despite repeated follow-ups, he has never received a response.' The DA would submit a name to replace Whitfield as deputy minister, Steenhuisen added. 'It is a DA decision, and once again, the fact that we have six ministers and six deputy ministers in the GNU shows how we are committed to South Africa.'
eNCA
2 hours ago
- eNCA
DA must decide if they want to opposition inside GNU
ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri. JOHANNESBURG - Will the Government of National Unity go its full five years? Disagreements and differences in policy have always placed it on precarious ground. The DA has withdrawn from President Cyril Ramaphosa's National Dialogue. This was after he axed Deputy Trade and Industry Minister, Andrew Whitfield.
