LOCAL ELECTIONS 2026: Malema blames GNU cooperation for EFF losing support to the DA
EFF leader Julius Malema says voters questioned why they should not support the DA at the ballot box when the ANC itself was willing to work with the party and give it positions in government.
EFF leader Julius Malema claims voters chose the Democratic Alliance (DA) over his party because of the ANC's willingness to cooperate with the DA in the national government after the 2024 elections. Malema emphasized that the ANC's decision to form a government of national unity with the DA influenced how voters perceived the parties.
He criticized DA Joburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille for becoming increasingly boastful and predicted the EFF would not be intimidated during coalition negotiations. Malema warned that communities in Soweto might face consequences under a DA-led administration, citing concerns about municipal services and poverty. Despite the party's national vote share dropping from 10.31% in 2021 to 6.26% in 2026, Malema highlighted the EFF's strong performance in ward elections, where it gained 37 wards, including 30 new ones and seven retained from the previous election.
The EFF secured ward councillors in metropolitan municipalities for the first time, including Johannesburg, Buffalo City, and Mangaung. Malema also pointed to the party's improved performance in 48 municipalities, including the Northern Cape, Nelson Mandela Bay, and others.
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