EFF To Review Leadership And Structures After Poll Losses
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is preparing an internal review of its performance and organisational structures following a significant decline in support in the 2026 Local Government Elections.
The party’s national vote share dropped from 10.31% in 2021 to approximately 6.26% in 2026, costing it more than 612,000 votes and pushing it from third to fourth place nationally, behind the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party.
EFF leader Julius Malema said the party would assess its performance ward by ward, municipality by municipality and province by province, identifying weaknesses and taking corrective action ahead of the 2029 national and provincial elections.
On Friday, 13 November, Malema indicated that the review would extend to Parliament, provincial legislatures and other party structures, saying some members had failed to meet expectations. He also said the party’s proportional representation lists would prioritise ward candidates who performed strongly in their municipalities.
The review follows the EFF’s acknowledgement that it needs to confront its organisational shortcomings after the electoral setback.