{
  "id": 12059446,
  "title": "South Africa: Moneybags Malema Promises NMB Free Water and Electricity, and Bigger RDP Houses",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/south-africa-moneybags-malema-promises-nmb-free-water-and-electricity",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-05T02:22:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "AllAfrica",
    "slug": "allafrica",
    "url": "https://allafrica.com/stories/202610050040.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema vowed to provide free water, electricity, bigger social housing, increased social grants, and free school meals and uniforms to Nelson Mandela Bay residents if his party wins control of the metro in the upcoming local government elections on November 4. The EFF president made these promises at a manifesto launch event at Motherwell Stadium in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, where he addressed a crowd of supporters braving the rain. Malema argued that pensioners receiving social grants should not have to pay for water and electricity, citing their poverty and the country's coal production. He emphasized the need for affordable and reliable electricity, criticizing the inconsistent power supply during rainy weather, which leads to frequent outages.",
  "summary": "[Daily Maverick] EFF president Julius Malema promised Nelson Mandela Bay residents free water and electricity, bigger RDP houses, more social grants and free school meals and uniforms - pledges that stretch well beyond the powers and responsibilities of local government.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}