EFF leader Julius Malema has attributed his party's decline in the 2026 local government elections to the ANC's decision to form a government of national unity with the Democratic Alliance. Malema stated that voters questioned why they should not support the DA when the ANC itself was willing to work with the party and give it positions in government. This cooperation, he argued, influenced how voters viewed the two parties.
The EFF received 1.8 million votes, or 6.26% of the national vote, compared with 2.4 million votes, or 10.31%, in 2021, representing a loss of 612,326 votes and a move from third to fourth place nationally. Malema acknowledged the party's decline in national support, saying it would not make excuses for its performance. He emphasized that the national picture did not tell the full story, pointing to the party's performance in wards and municipalities.
Despite the national decline, Malema highlighted the party's growth at the ward level, where it increased the number of wards it won from 19 in 2021 to 37 in the latest election. The party's strongest ward-level growth was in North West, where it increased its tally from three to 10 wards. In Mpumalanga, it secured seven wards, having had no ward victories in 2021.
Malema also criticized DA Joburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille, accusing her of becoming increasingly boastful and warning that the EFF would not be intimidated during coalition negotiations. He suggested the party was prepared to take a hard line in negotiations, stating, "If some will be arrogant, we're going to fold our arms, and Helen will take it."
The EFF leader also expressed concerns about communities in Soweto facing consequences under a DA-led administration, referring to issues with municipal services and residents' struggles with poverty. He emphasized that the party's results showed it remained capable of rebuilding its support despite the national decline.
Malema rejected suggestions that the DA took votes from his party, arguing that voters who shifted their support to the DA did so because of the ANC's decision to work with the DA. He stated, "There is no DA that stole votes. Our people voted for DA. DA did not steal any votes from the EFF."
The EFF's performance also showed growth in 48 municipalities across various provinces, including the Northern Cape, Nelson Mandela Bay, and Umsobomvu. Malema added that the results demonstrated the EFF's ability to reorganize and recover its votes, painting a picture of a national organization capable of rebuilding its support.
Key points
- ANC's GNU cooperation with DA led to EFF's decline in local elections
- EFF's ward-level growth showed increase from 19 wards in 2021 to 37 in 2026
- Malema criticizes DA's Helen Zille, warns of hard line in coalition negotiations
