Aspirant young leaders should draw wisdom from older peers: Analysts

International relations expert advocate, Sipho Mantula, says it’s important for the continent to prepare for youthful leadership, which is really not a new concept.

Advocate Mantula says young people across Africa have historically brought about significant change.

He’s referenced influential figures like Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Steve Biko, and Julius Nyerere.

Mantula’s remarks are in response to recent comments made by ANC Youth League President, Collen Malatji, who urged the league’s mother body to ensure that President Cyril Ramaphosa is the last elderly person to lead the country. He believes it is time for South Africa to have younger leaders, who are not nearing retirement.

“That National Dialogue will have no direction if it’s not directed by the youth of this country, who are the majority,” the ANCYL President, Cde Collen Malatji addressed the ANCYL North West President’s Jazz Hour yesterday, calling for the inclusion of young people who are on… pic.twitter.com/dVRqjJeLSE

— ANCYL (@ANCYLhq) June 12, 2025

They also come just days before South Africa observes Youth Day, which commemorates the 1976 Soweto Uprising when students took to the streets to vent their disproval of the apartheid government’s language policy.

More than 500 young people were killed on that fateful June 16 for refusing to recognise Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in black schools.

This tragedy, also known as the Soweto Uprising, inspired a national uprising against the brutal apartheid system.

Advocate Mantula says the young people who seek leadership positions, should aspire to emulate the leaders who came before them, particularly those who understand the challenges facing the youth on the continent.

He highlights the emergence of young military leaders in West Africa, such as Ibrahim Traoré in Burkina Faso, and in East Africa, the likes of Bobby Wine in Uganda. He also points to the rise of youthful leaders like Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Joseph Kabila in the early 2000s.

While Mantula acknowledges the need for younger leaders, he insists that they must also learn from the older generation within government. He advocates for the aspiration to model governance after Botswana, which is led by a young government.

Activist Londiwe Mntambo from Rivonia Circle has also weighed in on the discussion.

She says the country’s retirement age should apply to parliamentarians as well.

She experienced politicians should only serve in advisory roles.

“Seasoned politicians can play advisory roles as well. It is important to note the lack of political will from politicians generally but specifically from old politicians. The world is rapidly changing – new ways of doing things must emerge. Younger leaders certainly have demonstrated political will in the different spaces that they work in, in our communities. Young doesn’t have to mean inexperienced,” she says.

“South Africa is definitely ready for a young president or even for the majority of cabinet to be young – this would reflect the demographics of the country.”

Mntambo adds that if the ANC Youth League wants to support young leaders, they must rethink their approach.

“{As} leadership should focus on people-centered and pro-poor policies, ethical integrity, relevant skills, and a strong history of community engagement and problem-solving.”

Political researcher and activist, Pearl Pillay, says the focus should be less on the country’s readiness for younger leaders and more on what is necessary for reasonable representation and effective governance.

She points out that while South Africa’s labour system defines a retirement age, governance often seems to be exempt from this standard.

Pillay says young people are not seeking to replace older people entirely, but rather want a collaborative approach.

“We do not moralise based on wisdom, experience, or institutional knowledge in other sectors, yet we allow governance to be held captive by these notions. One of the largest challenges we face is a political culture that projects automatic wisdom based solely on age, thereby excluding young people based on superficial measures. We’ve seen leaders demonstrate a profound lack of wisdom, regardless of their age or experience. This reveals our hostility to collaboration,” she explains.