Economic Freedom Fighters to contest selected wards for 2026 local government elections

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have announced their strategic approach for the upcoming 2026 local government elections, confirming that the party will contest selected wards across the country. This decision follows the party’s internal review of its electoral performance and organizational readiness.

The party’s leadership has emphasized a “Victory or Death” campaign theme, focusing on a person-to-person interaction strategy known as Umntu Emntwini/Motho Mothong. This approach prioritizes direct engagement with voters to deliver the party’s message and secure support at the grassroots level.

We, as the EFF, stand here to commit ourselves to peaceful elections, and want to call on all our fighters on the ground that we must respect voters.

The EFF has also launched its manifesto, which serves as a blueprint for addressing service delivery failures and improving municipal governance. The party aims to build solid organizational structures and expose community challenges, placing these priorities ahead of the naming of mayoral candidates.

As the 2026 local government elections approach, the EFF continues to position itself as a mature revolutionary movement, seeking to reverse previous electoral trends and increase its share of the vote in key municipalities.