Thursday, 09 April 2026

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is pleased to have launched a successful Mass Voter Registration Campaign at the Winnie Madikizela Mandela House on the 21st of March 2026. The significance of launching this campaign on Sharpeville Day, was a tribute to those whose lives were lost in 1960 fighting for our liberation, a liberation which has since been betrayed.

Voter Registration is therefore a weapon in the hands of this generation to fulfill the dreams of our fallen leaders and vote for free education, quality healthcare and 24- hour clinics, affordable electricity, affordable fuel and food and a society free from crime, alcohol abuse, drug abuse and gender based violence. To achieve these objectives, we must ensure we are registered to vote, and it is for this reason that the EFF prioritises engagement with communities and the development of a people- centered manifesto, over and above the politics of personalities and individualism through Mayoral candidates.

The EFF says to South Africans ahead of these 2026 Local Government Elections that service delivery and ideas must determine who we vote for, and not personality contests and cheap gimmicks. South Africa does not need pictures of illegal dumping sites, we need dumping sites to be cleaned. We do not need potholes to only be exposed, but we need them to also be fixed, we do not need the poverty of our children to be documented, we need our children to be fed.

It is for this reason that the EFF’s Elections Campaign has placed voter registration, building of solid organisational structures and exposing and fixing community challenges first, and naming of Mayoral candidates second. We will not be coerced by popular media and elections polls developed by think-tanks of right wingers, to change this as our elections strategy.

On the 27th of March 2026 the EFF held its 5th Central Command Team (CCT) meeting of the 3rd National People’s Assembly (NPA) which resolved to convert all constitutional structures of the EFF into Elections Task Force. The purpose of the Elections Task Forces is to coordinate all elections work ahead and during the 2026 Local Government Elections.

The CCT has accordingly been converted into the Central Elections Task Force (CETF), which is convened by the President and Commander in Chief and Coordinated by the Secretary General. It is constituted by Members of the CCT, Convenors and Coordinators of the Provincial Elections Task Forces and Convenors and Coordinators of the Sub-Regional Elections Task Forces and any individuals who are identified by the CETF.

The Provincial Command Teams, Sub-Regional Command Teams and Branch Command Teams are also converted into Provincial Elections Task Forces (PETF), Sub-Regional Elections Task Forces (SRETF) and Branch Elections Task Forces, with the additional inclusion of Voting District Elections Task Forces (VDETF’s) to coordinate elections works. The Officials of the EFF are deployed to the following provinces.

1. The President and Commander in Chief is deployed to convene the provinces of Limpopo and Gauteng 2. The Deputy President is deployed to convene the provinces of Mpumalanga and Free State 3. The Secretary General is deployed to convene the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape 4. The Deputy Secretary General is deployed to convene the Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality and is additionally the coordinator of the province of Gauteng 5. The National Chairperson is deployed to convene the Western Cape Province 6. The Treasurer General is deployed to convene the provinces of North West and Northern Cape

Additionally, all CCT Members are deployed to convene their home sub-regions as part of ensuring that electoral performance is measured according to one’s ability to mobilise their constituencies. All CCT members as convenors of sub-regions are expected to lead the elections machinery in their home sub-regions and home wards and deliver victory, and failure to do so will result in reconsideration of their role as CCT Members and as Public Representatives.

The CCT also resolved on the establishment of the Central Youth Elections Task Force (CYETF) which will be convened by the President and Commander in Chief and the Secretary General. The CYETF will coordinate all elections work and mobilise the youth in townships, villages, suburbs, high school, universities and TVET colleges to register to vote. It will conduct its own program independent of the CETF and will be the bedrock of the victory of the EFF. The CCT has adopted the Victory or Death Manual which deals with the prevailing political terrain ahead of the elections, analysis of previous elections outcomes and the performance of the EFF compared to other political parties, defines the purpose and role of all EFF elections structures, provides guidelines and criteria for the nomination of Ward and Mayoral Candidates, deals with the Do’s and Don’ts of EFF Volunteers and outlines the Election Campaign Phases of the EFF.

The EFF will have three elections phases, namely the Mayihlome Phase which deals with the conversion of EFF structures, establishment of elections committees, establishment of operations centers, voter registration, listening sessions, stakeholder submissions and sectoral meetings towards the creation of a People’s Manifesto. During this phase the EFF will also deal with the nomination process of ward and Mayoral candidates at a branch and ward-based level.

The Mamela Phase wherein the organisation will intensify the campaign including launching the 2026 Local Government Elections Manifesto, manifesto rallies, intensified door to door campaign meetings and the unveiling of elections branding and publicity including but not limited to billboards, tv and radio adverts, interviews and participation in public debates.

The final phase will be the Tshela Thupa phase, which is an aggressive final period where we host the Tshela Thupa Rally, and intensify all work related to door to door and community meetings until election day. The core strategy of this election is nothing other than face-to-face interaction with voters, Umntu Emntwini, Motho Mothong, to deliver the message of the EFF and secure support for the agenda of Economic Freedom in Our lifetime. There will be zero-tolerance for laziness, complacency and failure to do the work one is expected to. From today onwards, all of us are volunteers of the EFF and there is no leader who is going to lead the EFF through a cellphone. Everyone is expected to go to the ground and work with ground forces on a daily basis, receiving reports directly from structures and intervening in all the needs of volunteers, including championing community struggles.

Those who are in municipal councils, provincial legislatures and Parliament are expected to elevate the challenges of our people into governance and ensure that they are resolved and attended to.

As we have outlined this year is Victory or Death for the EFF, and anything other than victory will condemn the masses of our people to further poverty, landlessness, economic exclusion, crime, poor healthcare and a lack of access to water, education and housing. It is do or die not only for us, but for the people of South Africa.

We note the response by Constitutional Court Chief Justice Mandisa Maya to the EFF, regarding the delays in delivering judgment in the Phala Phala case. This response follows sustained pressure from the EFF, which has consistently raised concern about the unacceptable delay in a matter of profound national importance.

The EFF has been clear and consistent: this matter was heard in the Constitutional Court of South Africa in 2024, and by all reasonable standards, judgment should have been delivered within a matter of three months by their own standards. Instead, South Africans have been left waiting for 495 days without adequate explanation. This delay has created the impression that justice is being deferred because the matter concerns a sitting Head of State. For months, the EFF has engaged in principled and peaceful civil action, including consistent pickets at the Constitutional Court, demanding that the judiciary uphold its responsibility to deliver justice without delay. It is precisely this sustained mass pressure, not quiet diplomacy or elite lobbying, that has forced a response from the highest office of the judiciary.

It is therefore not coincidental that only after direct correspondence from the EFF did the Chief Justice indicate that the judgment may be delivered within a month. This demonstrates that accountability in South Africa is not automatic but must be demanded through struggle.

The silence of so-called civil society organisations that claim to stand against corruption has been deafening. Institutions such as Corruption Watch, Helen Suzman Foundation, Nelson Mandela Foundation, Thabo Mbeki Foundation, the South African Council of Churches, Freedom Under Law, OUTA and many more, have failed to raise their voices on this matter with the urgency it deserves. Their inaction exposes a selective approach to accountability, where issues are only pursued when politically convenient.

The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease across South Africa has devastated livestock producers, farmworkers, and rural economies with African farmers hit the hardest. Yet the response from Minister John Steenhuisen has been slow, bureaucratic, and insufficient. Despite government claims of vaccination efforts and new strategies, the disease remains widespread, with outbreaks in multiple provinces and slow implementation of containment measures. The EFF condemns the failure of DA Minister Steenhuisen and his department to act with the urgency required to protect food security, livelihoods, and the backbone of rural economies. The EFF reiterates that all farmers who have lost livestock due to DA incompetence must be compensated and we will fight for this to happen.

South Africans are confronting historic fuel price increases that are piling pressure on already stretched household budgets. Petrol prices have increased by over R5 per litre, with diesel increases even higher at over R10 in some regions, while paraffin and energy costs rise at the same time.

These hikes feed directly into the cost of food, transport, and basic services, deepening the cost-of-living crisis. The temporary R3 fuel levy relief is welcome but not enough against sustained global price pressures and will expire soon unless extended. We are currently challenging the rise of the fuel levies in court, as we have directly seen that the National Treasury is unilaterally making tax increases without consultation with legislative bodies who represent the people.

The EFF demands that the government implements long-term relief for all working and poor South Africans, not just temporary measures; we demand that fuel pricing mechanisms are reviewed to protect consumers from exploitative pricing; and we demand that a comprehensive plan is developed to stop inflationary pressures and safeguard jobs and livelihoods.

The EFF warmly welcomes the appointment of Commissar Nkululeko Dunga as the new MEC of Finance in the Gauteng Province. His appointment signals a commitment to principled, pro-poor governance, and a dedication to serving the people rather than serving political elites. During his tenure as MMC of Finance in the City of Ekurhuleni, Nkululeko Dunga demonstrated decisive leadership and a clear commitment to transformative, pro- poor interventions. He led the successful insourcing of security guards and cleaners, ending exploitative outsourcing practices and restoring dignity to workers.

He launched the “Siyacima manje namhlanje” campaign, targeting industries and government departments in arrears, which led to the recovery of R350 million in revenue. Under his guidance, the municipality increased cash on hand from R350 million to approximately R2.1 billion.

Dunga led amendments to the Indigent Policy, increasing the property value threshold from R350,000 to R500,000, expanding relief access to approximately 500,000 households. He was recognised by the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) with two awards for reducing unauthorised, irregular, and wasteful expenditure, and for implementing robust consequence management during the 2023/24 financial year.

The EFF is, therefore, confident that Nkululeko Dunga will bring the same visionary and transformative approach to the finances of Gauteng. The attacks on his appointment reveal more about the biases of media elites than about the capabilities of the EFF.

The EFF additionally celebrates a series of recent victories in municipalities across South Africa that demonstrate our verifiable track record of service delivery and transformative governance. In Ekurhuleni, the EFF achieved a major milestone with the insourcing of 199 cleaners and 394 security guards, restoring dignity and job security for workers while taking a stand against corruption and tender abuse.

Meanwhile, the former MMC for Water and Sanitation Commissar Thembi Msane maintained a stable water supply during the Gauteng water crisis, achieving 98%– 100% compliance with national water quality standards and earning the city recognition as a Water Champion.

In Johannesburg, the EFF has successfully championed the insourcing of over 7,000 workers, increasing their salaries from R2,500 to above R7,000 per month with full benefits, proving that pro-poor policies are possible when leadership is committed to the people.

The City is also beginning to experience increased metro police visibility under the “Operation Nomakanjani, Manje Namhlanje” campaign, and our MMC of Health has opened the Orchards Clinic, a state-of-the-art facility operating 24/7, showing that accessible healthcare can be delivered around the clock.

In Tshwane, the EFF caucus successfully amended the Indigent Policy to include all SASSA beneficiaries automatically and approved a 100% write-off of municipal debt for qualifying households, offering relief to poor and working-class residents trapped in a cycle of debt. Similarly, in Nelson Mandela Bay, electricity was restored in Walmer Ward 4 after long outages, and the Ekuphumleni Old Age Home’s R3.5 million electricity debt was written off through a subsidy. Through EFF leadership in eThekwini, residents of Umlazi and KwaMakhutha have been moved from hostels into proper family housing, restoring dignity and improving living conditions. Across municipalities, EFF caucuses continue to push progressive initiatives, including land expropriation without compensation in Gauteng, banning labour brokers, and advancing the Farmland Release Programme.

These victories are tangible, practical, and life-changing and show that the EFF delivers for the people where others fail.

The EFF notes the conclusion of the Ad Hoc Committee established to consider the grave allegations made by Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, as well as the closure of the Political Killings Task Team. This was a critical moment in South Africa’s ongoing struggle against political violence, criminal infiltration of the state, and the erosion of public trust in law enforcement institutions.

The EFF reminds South Africans that it was through our consistent pressure and principled intervention that the Ad Hoc Committee was set up in Parliament. We also actively and decisively engaged in the process to root out the rot in our policing and intelligence systems.

The findings emerging from the Ad Hoc Committee and the work of the Madlanga Commission confirm what the EFF has long maintained: that there exists deep- rooted corruption, factionalism, and criminality within the highest ranks of the South African Police Service. The revelations of interference, suppression of investigations, and abuse of state power expose a policing system that has, in many instances, been captured by political and criminal interests. We therefore welcome the arrests of senior police officials implicated through the Madlanga Commission process. These arrests are a necessary step toward restoring integrity within law enforcement and ensuring that those entrusted with upholding the law are not themselves above it. However, arrests alone are not enough, there must be successful prosecutions, dismissals, and a complete overhaul of the institutional culture that has allowed such rot to persist.

At the same time, the EFF condemns the continued wasteful expenditure of public funds through the ongoing remuneration of suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu. It is irrational and unjustifiable that South Africans are expected to fund the salary and benefits of a suspended minister, implicated in the criminal infiltration we speak of, while another individual is effectively performing the duties of that office. This is a gross abuse of public resources in a country where millions struggle to access basic services.

The conclusions of the Ad Hoc Committee and the Madlanga Commission must not gather dust like many reports before them. They must serve as a turning point that leads to decisive action, institutional reform, and the rebuilding of a police service that serves the people, not political factions or criminal networks.

In Nelson Mandela Bay, the shocking reality that millions of rand have been paid to suspended City Manager Noxolo Nqwazi over an extended period reflects a municipality that has abandoned its responsibility to the people. She is suspended for crimes of corruption and yet she still has not been put through the necessary disciplinary hearing for years.

The consequences of this failure go beyond wasteful expenditure. The instability caused by the absence of permanent leadership has resulted in a revolving door of acting officials, further draining resources while collapsing governance capacity. Even more concerning is the loss of critical funding amounting to R1,6 Billion that could have been redirected to infrastructure and service delivery, simply because the municipality has failed to meet basic administrative requirements. This is a betrayal of the people of Nelson Mandela Bay.

Equally concerning is the conduct of the Auditor-General of South Africa, which has failed to meaningfully engage with legitimate oversight questions regarding the appointment and remuneration of the Secretary to Parliament. The Secretary, Xolile George, received large salary hikes not in alignment with his position as well as a recruitment process filled with irregularities. And yet the Speaker of Parliament refused to be held to account and there has been a coverup.

This pattern of silence and delayed compliance raises serious concerns about whether the Auditor-General is fulfilling its constitutional mandate without fear or favour. When a key oversight institution appears reluctant to account for its own processes, it weakens public confidence and emboldens those who seek to evade scrutiny.

The EFF further calls for the immediate resignation of Princess Faku, the ANC- deployed Mayor of Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, who has serious allegations of fraudulent academic registration at University of Fort Hare. This forms part of a broader pattern in which politically connected individuals manipulate access to education for personal advancement, while deserving young people are excluded due to limited capacity.

The University of Fort Hare has been crippled by ANC politicians who register fraudulently while not meeting the minimum requirements, in order to meet education criteria to be deployed by their political party. It is unacceptable that public representatives, who are entrusted with the responsibility of serving the people, abuse their positions to undermine institutions of higher learning. Such conduct not only erodes the credibility of universities but also robs young people of opportunities that could change their lives.

The EFF insists that all those implicated must step down and face the consequences of their actions and the University of Fort Hare must account for these suspicious degrees indiscriminately awarded to top ANC leaders, a list which includes the likes of Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane.

The EFF demands that just as the Constitutional Court has outlined the period within which the Phala Phala Judgement will be released, the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) must release its findings on allegations of degree-fraud by ANC politicians such as Oscar Mabuyane, Princess Faku, Noxolo Kiviet, and many others.

The EFF wishes to make it clear to South Africans that the court order handed down in 2025 which set aside an earlier investigation into Mabuyane’s degree fraud and others, applies to an outdated SIU proclamation made in 2022. This means that the SIU continues to investigate these ANC officials implicated in degree fraud, and this has been confirmed by the SIU. There is no court order which has suspended the SIU investigation and the EFF demands the report now, and the resignation of all those implicated in literally stealing education.

The EFF has not forgotten President Nicolás Maduro and the people of Venezuela, who continue to face relentless pressure from US military intervention and economic warfare. The arrest and removal of President Maduro by U.S. forces earlier this year has triggered global outrage and diplomatic splits, with many countries condemning the operation as a violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty.

We affirm our concern for his welfare and for the democratic rights of Venezuelans. Attempts by the US to pacify or control sovereign states through force threaten international law, peace, and the principles of self-determination. The EFF will continue to oppose imperialist aggression in all its forms.

Similarly, despite US sanctions and an oil blockade that have left energy supplies low and infrastructure strained, Cuba has shown resilience. Recent shipments of oil and aid from Russia and China have provided temporary relief to the energy crisis in Cuba which is made worse by the blockade. This is a development the EFF welcomes as a blow against unilateral economic warfare and in defence of Cuban sovereignty.

These acts of solidarity from Russia and China counteract decades of punitive measures that have impoverished the Cuban people.

In the Middle East, Iran has successfully negotiated a ceasefire with the United States and Israel after they initiated a reckless war. A temporary ceasefire has been reached, on the basis of a ten-point peace plan advanced by Iran and accepted as a framework for negotiation.

Iran’s willingness to stand firm for its national interests and sovereignty even under immense pressure, has forced a pause in hostilities and secured a platform for diplomatic engagement. This outcome highlights a shift in global geopolitics: key US allies in Europe and elsewhere refused to fully endorse the war and pushed for diplomacy instead. Their stance when compared with unilateral US and Israeli escalation has destroyed the lie of unchallenged American dominance.

The EFF continues to assert that peoples’ struggles are interconnected, Imperialist interventions and unjust economic policies must be opposed consistently. Sovereign nations have the right to self-determination and dignity without foreign military or economic coercion.

We call on all our people, especially the youth to go out and register to vote EFF, visit the EFF website and follow the easy steps to check your voter registration status, relocate or register to vote. The power is in your hands, Register to vote EFF in the 2026 Local Government Elections.

I Thank You.