THOHOYANDOU, Limpopo — The EFF 2026 Local Government Manifesto was officially unveiled this weekend, placing the turnaround of failing municipalities and the improvement of basic service delivery at the center of the party’s upcoming election strategy.
Speaking at the party’s manifesto launch and 13th-anniversary celebrations in Thohoyandou, Limpopo, EFF President Julius Malema addressed hundreds of supporters. He emphasized that true freedom is unattainable without functioning local governments, declaring that municipalities can and must be transformed into corruption-free centers of excellence.
The launch took place in what Malema described as the “lion’s den” of the ANC. The event was marked by heightened political tension, with reports of a surveillance helicopter hovering nearby while the governing party held a separate provincial rally at the adjacent Morella stadium.
During his address, Malema called for increased financial allocations to local governments, arguing that provincial structures are largely unnecessary and that the National Treasury has previously withheld municipal grants due to poor financial management.
He highlighted the party’s administrative track record, praising EFF officials in Kouga (Eastern Cape), the Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal for providing dignified sanitation, water, and housing. Malema also noted that the party successfully stabilized the finances of Ekurhuleni, which subsequently collapsed after the EFF’s Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) was removed. Furthermore, he praised the EFF’s MMC in Tshwane for maintaining clean towns and officially unveiled the party’s mayoral candidates for key strategic municipalities and metros, including Johannesburg, Tshwane, eThekwini, and Nelson Mandela Bay.
Warning of impending resistance from those who benefit from the current municipal status quo, Malema framed the manifesto as a five-year commitment to build people-centric municipalities. The party is now targeting the local government elections scheduled for November 4, rallying supporters with their traditional “Victory or death” slogan.
Political analyst Dr. Levy Ndou noted that the EFF has strategically used the 2026 Local Government Manifesto to position itself as the definitive solution to South Africa’s municipal crisis. Ndou highlighted the party’s specific pledges to improve refuse collection, insource municipal workers, and strengthen overall service delivery.
However, Ndou cautioned that while the EFF has correctly identified critical failures in municipal governance, finances, and human resources, the party faces a significant hurdle. He pointed out that many of the challenges addressed in the current manifesto mirror those raised in previous years. According to Ndou, the EFF’s primary challenge now is convincing voters that it can successfully translate these renewed proposals into tangible service delivery on the ground.
