EFF to Unveil Local‑Election Manifesto Amid Push to Rebuild Municipal Support
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) will launch its manifesto for the upcoming municipal elections on Saturday at Thohoyandou Stadium in Limpopo. The event coincides with the party’s 13th anniversary celebrations and is intended to signal a renewed focus on service delivery after the EFF’s decline in the 2024 national vote.
Manifesto Priorities
Vice‑President Godrich Gardee told Business Day that the document will centre on fixing the basic‑service gaps that have plagued South African municipalities for decades. Key commitments include:
- Reliable water and electricity supply
- Upgraded road networks and maintenance
- Targeted job‑creation programmes at the ward level
- Expanded access to communal land for emerging farmers
- 24‑hour primary health‑care facilities in every locality
Gardee summed up the party’s pitch: “The EFF plan is to make a difference on the issues that matter most to people.”
Candidate Roll‑out
The EFF intends to field 213 mayoral candidates across the country. Gardee noted that the full list will not be released at the manifesto launch because of its length, but the names will be made public in the days following the event.
Political Context
National support for the EFF slipped from 10.79 % in the 2019 general election to 9.52 % in 2024, reducing its parliamentary presence from 44 to 39 seats. In the 2021 local elections the party secured about 10.4 % of the proportional representation vote, a modest increase over the previous municipal poll, yet it did not win outright control of any municipality.
Since then, the EFF has acted as a kingmaker in several metros, entering coalition agreements in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni and lending support to stalled councils as alliances shifted. The upcoming November 4 municipal vote is expected to produce another round of coalition governments in the country’s largest cities and towns.
Stance on Immigration
When asked whether immigration would feature prominently in the campaign, Gardee clarified that border management and migration policy fall under national competence. He stated:
“The EFF is not in charge of the borders. The EFF is not in charge of the army and the police. The EFF is not in charge of internal affairs,” he said, adding that local elections should concentrate on service delivery and municipal governance.
By relegating immigration to the national sphere, the EFF aims to keep the debate focused on the concrete issues voters experience daily—water, electricity, roads, jobs, and health care.
Looking Ahead
The manifesto launch marks the EFF’s attempt to translate its national‑level critique of three decades of ANC governance into tangible municipal platforms. Whether the promised improvements in basic services will translate into electoral gains remains to be seen, but the party’s emphasis on localized, experience‑driven policy signals a strategic shift toward rebuilding trust at the grassroots level.
