“Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) treasurer-general Omphile Maotwe says the party has continued to grow its membership despite the departure of senior figures, including former deputy president Floyd Shivambu, ahead of South Africa’s November 2026 local government elections. She also defended the party’s position on immigration and argued that its campaign organisation remains strong, although her assertions about membership growth and electoral prospects are the party’s own claims rather than independently established election results.”
EFF leadership departures put party organisation and election strategy under scrutiny ahead of South Africa’s local polls
Party membership, political competition and immigration messaging emerge as central campaign issues
South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is defending its organisational strength and political direction as parties prepare for the November 2026 local government elections. The party’s treasurer-general, Omphile Maotwe, has rejected suggestions that the departure of prominent former leaders has weakened the organisation, arguing that membership has continued to increase and that the party remains capable of competing for support across the country. Her comments come amid renewed competition among established political parties and newer movements seeking to influence municipal leadership.
The debate highlights a central question facing the EFF: how can a party maintain its identity, internal organisation and voter appeal when experienced figures leave and competitors seek to attract the same communities? The answer will depend not only on what party leaders say during interviews and rallies, but also on how effectively their organisations communicate with voters, develop local structures and respond to concerns about municipal services.
Leadership departures and the challenge of maintaining party unity
The EFF has experienced the departure of several senior figures since the 2024 general election. Among them are former deputy president Floyd Shivambu and former national chairperson Dali Mpofu, who left to join the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party), led by former president Jacob Zuma. Other former members of Parliament also moved away from the organisation.
Such departures can create challenges for political parties because senior figures may have established relationships with supporters, developed experience in parliamentary work and helped coordinate regional or national campaigns. Their departure can also create opportunities for rival organisations to recruit experienced politicians and present themselves as alternatives to voters who are dissatisfied with existing leadership.
For the EFF, however, Maotwe argues that these changes have not undermined the party’s organisational capacity. In an interview with the Mail & Guardian, she maintained that membership had grown following the departures and disputed the suggestion that the organisation depended on individuals who had since left.
Her position reflects the party’s effort to project continuity ahead of the elections. Nevertheless, a public assertion of membership growth is not, by itself, independent proof of the party’s current strength. Verifying such a claim would require transparent membership figures, consistent counting methods and information about how many members remain active in local branches.
Political parties also face a distinction between formal membership and wider electoral support. A party can recruit new members without necessarily persuading more residents to vote for it. Conversely, a party may retain considerable support among voters who are not formally registered as members. Both measures matter, but they describe different aspects of political organisation.
The upcoming municipal elections will therefore provide an important opportunity to examine how the EFF’s internal membership claims translate into participation, campaign activity and ultimately votes.
The 2024 election results provide important context
The EFF’s position must also be considered against its performance in the 2024 national and provincial elections. According to the results cited in the Mail & Guardian report, the party’s national vote share declined from approximately 14% in the previous national election to around 9% in 2024.
That decline represented a significant political challenge for an organisation that had established itself as a prominent voice on economic transformation, land reform and social inequality. It also took place during a period when South Africa’s political landscape was becoming more competitive, with additional parties attracting attention and support.
The MK Party’s emergence altered the environment in which the EFF was competing. The movement attracted several prominent former EFF figures, while its broader political message offered another choice to voters dissatisfied with established political organisations. Maotwe attributed some of the EFF’s previous electoral losses in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng to the MK Party’s influence. That explanation is her assessment of the results, rather than a complete independent account of why voters changed their preferences.
Electoral behaviour is rarely explained by one factor alone. Voters may respond to leadership, party history, local candidates, economic circumstances, campaign promises and their experiences with public institutions. The relative importance of these factors can also vary between municipalities.
Consequently, the EFF’s challenge is not simply to retain members who remain loyal to the party. It must also demonstrate that its programme addresses the practical concerns of residents who may be considering alternatives.
Campaign organisation becomes a key test
Maotwe has pointed to the attendance at recent EFF mayoral campaign launches in Gauteng as evidence that the party retains an active base. She said events in Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni were well attended, alongside subsequent manifesto activities in other municipalities.
Public rallies can demonstrate organisational activity, provide opportunities to introduce candidates and give party leaders a platform to communicate campaign priorities. They can also create momentum among supporters and help local branches coordinate their activities.
However, attendance at rallies should not be treated as a reliable substitute for election results. People may attend political events out of interest, community loyalty or a desire to hear competing proposals without necessarily intending to vote for the organising party. The size of a crowd also does not automatically establish how representative it is of the wider electorate.
A fuller assessment of campaign strength would examine branch activity, the presence of candidates in communities, voter registration and education efforts, the quality of local manifestos and the consistency of engagement between major campaign events.
For municipal elections in particular, the ability to build relationships at ward level can be consequential. Residents frequently judge local government through visible experiences, including refuse collection, water supply, electricity infrastructure, road maintenance, public spaces and the handling of complaints.
Parties therefore need to connect national political messages with practical local proposals. Campaign activity may attract attention, but voters also need to understand what a party intends to change, how those changes would be funded and how residents could hold elected representatives accountable.
Immigration policy remains a contested part of the EFF’s message
Another significant issue in the interview was the EFF’s position on immigration. Maotwe defended the party’s approach, arguing that its call for undocumented foreign nationals to be documented had been misrepresented by critics. She also reiterated the EFF’s broader vision of greater African unity and integration.
Immigration has become a contentious subject in South African public debate, intersecting with concerns about employment, crime, border management, public services and the treatment of foreign nationals. Political parties have adopted different positions on these questions, and their language can influence how voters interpret their proposals.
The EFF’s stated distinction between documenting undocumented migrants and advocating a united African continent is important to understanding Maotwe’s defence. Documentation concerns the identification and administrative recording of people within a country’s borders. Continental integration, by contrast, involves broader questions about cooperation between states, economic relationships, movement across borders and political institutions.
These subjects should not be conflated. A call for documentation does not, on its own, establish a party’s complete immigration policy, just as support for African integration does not remove the need to explain how national immigration laws would operate.
South Africa’s immigration debate also requires careful attention to evidence. Claims about migrants and employment, crime or pressure on public services should be assessed against credible research and reliable data rather than assumptions about particular communities.
For the EFF, the campaign challenge is to communicate its proposals clearly while explaining how they would be implemented in practice. Other parties will likewise be judged on the detail, legality and practical consequences of their immigration policies.
Competition from newer and established parties
The EFF is entering the election period in a political environment where several organisations are competing for municipal influence. The ANC, Democratic Alliance (DA), MK Party, Inkatha Freedom Party and ActionSA are among the parties seeking support in different parts of the country.
The presence of multiple competitors means that political debate is not limited to the relationship between the governing ANC and the DA. Smaller parties and newer movements can also influence coalition negotiations, local campaign priorities and the composition of municipal councils.
In this environment, the EFF must distinguish its proposals from those of rivals while demonstrating that its candidates can address the responsibilities associated with local government.
The party’s national identity and established political profile may help it attract attention, but municipal elections place particular emphasis on local circumstances. A message that resonates in one city or province may have a different reception elsewhere.
Voters may also distinguish between their views of a national party leader and their assessment of a local candidate. The ability to listen to residents, respond to specific problems and present realistic proposals can therefore be important alongside ideological positioning.
What voters should examine before election day
The discussion surrounding the EFF illustrates why voters benefit from looking beyond statements about party popularity and campaign momentum. Claims of growing membership, strong rallies or confidence about electoral performance are relevant to understanding a party’s own assessment, but they do not determine how residents will vote.
Voters can examine several practical questions when comparing political parties.
First, they can consider whether candidates explain the problems facing their municipalities and provide specific proposals rather than relying exclusively on national political slogans. Second, they can assess whether manifesto commitments identify realistic responsibilities, funding requirements and timelines. Third, they can examine the record of parties and individual councillors where reliable information is available.
It is also useful to distinguish between municipal responsibilities and matters controlled primarily by provincial or national government. A local manifesto should explain how a municipality would address issues within its authority and how it would cooperate with other levels of government where necessary.
Finally, voters can seek evidence of accountability. A party’s promises are more meaningful when residents can identify who is responsible for implementation, how progress will be reported and what mechanisms exist for addressing failures.
These considerations apply equally to the EFF and its competitors. They provide a way to evaluate political claims without assuming that any party’s confidence, historical reputation or campaign activity guarantees successful administration.
Conclusion: The election will test organisation and public trust
The EFF’s response to senior leadership departures illustrates the competing pressures confronting South African political parties ahead of the November 2026 local government elections. Maotwe has presented the organisation as resilient, pointing to claimed membership growth, campaign participation and the continued relevance of its political message. Those statements offer insight into the party’s public position, but independent evidence will be needed to establish the full extent of its organisational recovery.
The party’s performance will depend on several factors, including its ability to maintain active local branches, explain its policies, respond to voter concerns and persuade residents that its candidates can meet municipal responsibilities. Competition from newer movements and established parties will add to these pressures.
Ultimately, the central question is not simply whether the EFF can move beyond the departure of prominent figures. It is whether the party can demonstrate continued public support and translate its campaign promises into credible local programmes.
The November elections will provide voters with an opportunity to compare the commitments and records of competing parties. For the EFF, as for every organisation seeking municipal office, the decisive test will be the confidence voters place in its candidates and the evidence they see that its proposals can improve the communities those candidates hope to represent.
