EFF should rethink political strategy amid electoral decline: Analyst

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) needs to rethink its political strategy amid declining electoral support, according to political analyst Dr Kuhle Zwakala.

The party secured 8.31% of the vote in the 2016 local government elections and 10.17% in 2021.

With results from 54% of voting districts declared, the party is currently hovering at around 5.9% of the national vote.

Speaking to SABC News as vote counting continues across the country, Zwakala says the party needs to rejuvenate its political brand.

He believes the EFF has become predictable and has failed to offer voters sufficiently fresh political messaging.

“They appear like a party that is fatigued. There’s nothing new that they’ve said. I suppose if what you stand for from a policy point of view, you’ve not really implemented, I suppose one could argue then that there’s no point in changing any message, but times move, right? So, I think they’ve sort of failed to rejuvenate EFF as a brand, right? What’s new? What cuts? I mean, with 51 plus political parties, I think even more, way more. So what messaging are you using? What’s cutting through the clutter?” says Zwakala.

In previous local government elections, the EFF opted to remain outside municipal governments, arguing that its failure to win outright control of any municipality meant it had not received a mandate from voters to govern.

Zwakala believes the party missed an opportunity to demonstrate its ability to govern, implement its policies and consolidate its electoral support, which has come back to bite.

“So, if you remember, the EFF refused responsibility when they started contesting local government elections. If you recall, they were merely in these councils to vote. I think at some point they made a stance that they do not want to be in this local government,” he says.

“Again, I make reference here even to provincial parliaments where they would simply vote against, and so on and so forth. So, I think they missed an opportunity there because through being in government, you can then execute, execute even your own policies, right?” he adds.

LGE 2026 | What the election results mean for DA, ANC, EFF and coalition politics: Dr Kuhle Zwakala

The party’s stance on immigration also became a prominent issue in the lead-up to the elections, amid growing anti-immigration protests across the country.

Zwakala believes the EFF should reconsider its position on immigration, an issue that has reportedly caused disagreements within the party.

“There is a position that the EFF will really have to reflect on and perhaps take a different position. We obviously have heard from their former deputy president on how there was disagreement internally within the party on its position on this issue of immigration, right? I think that’s a position that they will have to revisit. Their president has tried to spin this for a number of years now, right?,” Zwakala argues.

The party’s immigration policy has attracted criticism, with some associating its position with concerns about lawlessness, crime and undocumented immigration, despite these not being the stated objectives of its policy.

Several political figures have proposed documenting undocumented immigrants as one way of addressing illegal immigration in the country. However, Zwakala takes a different view, arguing that immigration must be managed in accordance with the law.

“So, the fact that there are other countries does not make it right. So, everything needs to happen within the framework of the law. And what South Africans are saying is the wrong narrative that is being sent elsewhere. I mean, especially in West Africa. There’s no call for foreigners not to come to South Africa. Legal foreigners, yes, please come to South Africa. We go to other countries, right? So, for me, I think it’s a very simple debate that’s been complicated, and people bring in a political angle to it. What we want is the law that we abide by in South Africa. Everyone must be subjected to that law, starting with us and everyone else. So, to your earlier question, I think, I mean, it’s really a position that the EFF may have to revisit. Yeah, amongst other things, amongst other utterances, of course,” he adds.

Zwakala also says the EFF’s election campaign has been underwhelming compared with its historically strong campaigning and political activism.

The ANC is leading nationally, followed by the DA and the MK Party, as vote counting continues.

LGE 2026 | EFF reacts to latest tallied votes in smaller VDs: