Where the facts about the EFF come from

The EFF is on the IEC list in all 257 councils, in all 9 provinces.

Employ council workers directly, without contractors, within 24 months. Stop extra charges on prepaid meters and install prepaid meters for free. Give at least 80% of council buying to local small firms, co-operatives and township firms. Fix water leaks within a day of being reported.

Water: The EFF promises that the council would fix a water leak within one day after someone reports it. A water leak is water escaping from a broken pipe. In its own words: “Fix water leaks within a day of being reported”

Electricity and power cuts: The EFF promises that councils would stop adding extra charges to prepaid electricity meters. It also promises to install prepaid meters for free. A prepaid meter is one where you pay for electricity before you use it. In its own words: “Stop extra charges on prepaid meters, install prepaid meters for free”

Rubbish: The EFF promises that councils would collect waste dependably in every community. Waste collection means that the council takes away rubbish. In its own words: “Ensure reliable waste collection services in all communities”

Toilets and sewage: The EFF promises to end the use of bucket toilets and unsafe pit toilets. It also promises that everyone would have access to dignified sanitation services. Sanitation means toilets and the systems that take waste away. In its own words: “Eradicate all bucket toilets and unsafe pit toilets and ensure universal access to dignified sanitation services.”

Roads: The EFF promises that councils would look after every municipal road so that it stays safe and people can use it. A municipal road is a road that the local council looks after. In its own words: “Maintain all municipal roads in a safe and usable condition”

Building houses: The EFF promises housing plans that each have a deadline, with the aim of clearing the housing backlog. A housing backlog is the number of people still waiting for a house. In its own words: “Implement time-bound plans that aim to clear housing backlogs”

Informal settlements: The EFF promises to rezone informal settlements, make them formal and upgrade them. Rezoning changes what the land may be used for. In its own words: “Rezone, formalise, and upgrade informal settlements”

Title deeds: The EFF promises to give out title deeds faster. A title deed is the legal paper that shows who owns a house or a piece of land. In its own words: “accelerate the issuing of title deeds”

Crime: The EFF promises crime prevention plans that join different efforts together and are based on the areas where crime is known to happen. A crime hotspot is an area where a lot of crime happens. In its own words: “integrated crime prevention strategies based on identified crime hotspots”

Metro police: The EFF promises to make municipal law enforcement stronger with better staffing, training and resources. Municipal law enforcement officers are the officers that the council itself employs. In its own words: “Strengthen municipal law enforcement capabilities by improving staffing, training, and resources.”

Local jobs: The EFF promises that councils would hire their own workers within 24 months. They would stop using contractors, which are outside firms paid to do council work. In its own words: “In the next 24 months, employ municipal workers directly”

Business and growth: The EFF promises that at least 80% of council buying will go to local firms. These are small firms, co-operatives and township firms. In its own words: “Allocate a minimum of 80% of municipal procurement to local SMMEs, cooperatives, and township enterprises”

Corruption: The EFF promises to publish all tenders, awards and contracts. It also promises to punish corruption. In its own words: “Publish all tenders, awards, and contracts, enforce strict consequences for corruption”

Wasteful spending: The EFF promises that councils would hire qualified professionals of their own and not depend on consultants. A consultant is an outside expert or firm that the council pays for advice or work. In its own words: “employing suitably qualified professionals instead of relying on consultants”

Budgets: The EFF promises to set up People's Budget Assemblies in each ward. These would be meetings where residents have a say in the council budget. A ward is a small area of a council that has its own elected councillor. In its own words: “Establish ward-based People's Budget Assemblies”

City of Johannesburg: Part of the group of parties that runs the council. The EFF is part of the ANC-led coalition (a group of parties that run the council together). In April 2026 the EFF said its provincial secretary Moshe Koma would replace Mgcini Tshwaku as Public Safety MMC. An MMC is a member of the mayor's team who runs one area of work. The City announced Koma's appointment on 24 April 2026. Daily Maverick in August 2026 names Ennie Makhafola as the EFF's Health and Social Development MMC.

City of Tshwane: Part of the group of parties that runs the council. Since October 2024 the EFF has been part of the ActionSA-led coalition with the ANC. The EFF's Tshegofatso Mashabela is MMC for health. An MMC is a councillor on the mayor's team who runs one area of work. In August 2026 the Sunday Times reported tension in the coalition. It said the ANC and EFF were thinking about pulling out. We found no later report that they pulled out.

City of Ekurhuleni: In opposition. The EFF left the ANC-led coalition on 18 February 2026. This came after changes to the mayoral committee (the mayor's team) cut its posts. It said it would sit in opposition, outside the group running the council. The EFF's Nthabiseng Tshivhenga was council Speaker until she resigned in December 2025. In June 2026 the EFF was the only party to vote against the 2026/27 budget.

Nelson Mandela Bay: Part of the group of parties that runs the council. The EFF is part of the ANC-led coalition. It is in charge of two areas of the council's work. These are Electricity and Energy, and Budget and Treasury. Its councillor Khanya Ngqisha is the political head for budget and treasury.

eThekwini: Has seats, but is not in the group that runs the council. In July 2024 the IFP, ANC, DA and NFP agreed to work together in eThekwini. In September 2024 the DA turned down the ANC's offer of posts and said it would stay in opposition. The EFF is not part of that deal. It holds one seat on the executive committee, the group of councillors who help run the council. In 2024 the Mercury reported that the municipal public accounts committee (MPAC) stayed with the EFF. This committee checks how the council spends money. We found no newer report on MPAC.

City of Cape Town: In opposition. In 2021 the DA won 135 of 231 seats, which is more than half. The EFF won 10.

Buffalo City: In opposition. The ANC runs the council with more than half the seats. News24 lists the EFF as the third-largest party, with 12 seats.

Mangaung: Our sources do not make this clear. The ANC won 51 of 101 seats in 2021. In April 2023 the EFF helped the DA elect AASD leader Papi Mokoena as mayor. A court later cancelled his election, and the ANC's Gregory Nthatisi took over. We found no source from 2025-2026 on the EFF's role.

EWN reported in February 2026 that the EFF and ANC were coalition partners in Mogale City. EWN said they were also partners in Johannesburg and Tshwane. This was after the EFF left Ekurhuleni's coalition. We found no later report of a change.

The EFF is part of the coalition that runs Knysna, with the ANC and the PBI. Daily Maverick reported this in October 2026. The EFF won 1 of 21 seats in 2021, according to the IEC. The council has had no elected mayor since 18 September 2026. Police arrested Thando Matika, whom the ANC removed as mayor on that day, on 1 October 2026 on corruption charges. He has not been found guilty.

The EFF is part of the ANC, EFF and NFP coalition that has run Nongoma since 2023. IOL reported this in April 2025. The EFF held the deputy mayor post until March 2025. Then it removed its deputy mayor after he was arrested on corruption charges. The Sunday World reported that in June 2025 the ANC proposed giving an EFF councillor an executive committee seat. The executive committee is the group of councillors who help run the council. This would let the EFF fill the post again. We have not confirmed whether that happened. The Auditor-General's 2024-25 report lists Nongoma among KwaZulu-Natal councils whose audit outcome got worse over the council term.

The EFF told the IEC about no donations above the disclosure limit, from July 2025 to June 2026. Checked 20 October 2026.

Before this, it last declared R515 313 in April to June 2024 (1 donation).

Gifts over R100 000 from one donor, named in the reports: R515 313. Smaller gifts, R100 000 or less from one donor (names not published): R49 160. Membership fees and levies: R50 923 176. From the Political Representatives Fund: R59 195 999. From Parliament and provincial legislatures: R165 187 591.

N M Mhlongo, an EFF MP, said this in a budget debate, where MPs discuss money for the department that deals with other countries. She wants South Africa to keep its case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, the United Nations' top court. The EFF says Israel is trying to destroy the people of Palestine, which is what genocide means. The EFF rejects that budget, and she also praised Iran's Revolutionary Guard, part of Iran's armed forces. In its own words: “for South Africa to continue the fight at the International Court of Justice on the case against the state of Israel for the genocide they continue to perpetuate in Palestine”

Carl Niehaus, an EFF MP, said this in a member's statement, a short speech any MP can make at the start of a sitting. He means the EFF is against the military strikes on Iran by Israel and the US. He says they broke the UN Charter, the United Nations' rule book, because Iran had not attacked first. He wants those who did it held to account. He does not say what South Africa should do. In its own words: “the EFF unequivocally condemns the Israel-US attack on Iran.”

M N Paulsen, an EFF MP, said this in a debate in Parliament about electricity. He wants South Africa to get new nuclear power stations to make more electricity. He wants Russia or China to build them with South Africa. The partner would build and run them for 20 years, then hand them over. This would make Russia or China a partner in South Africa's electricity. In its own words: “Partner with strategic allies such as the Russian Federation or the People's Republic of China to build nuclear power plants”

M S Letlape, an EFF MP, said this in a Parliament debate on a report about the Home Affairs budget. She says the DA Minister of Home Affairs signed a deal with Ukraine. It lets Ukrainian officials with government passports visit without a visa, which is a permit to enter. She says Parliament should have approved it first, as the Constitution requires for deals with other countries. In its own words: “granting visa free access of Ukrainian holders of diplomatic and official service passports without the approval of the Parliament”

N M Mhlongo, an EFF MP, said this in a debate in Parliament on a report about MPs' trip to China. The One China policy is the view that Taiwan is part of China. She wants South Africa to put it fully into practice. She means Taiwan's office in Tshwane should move out, which she says has still not happened. She says China helped South Africans in their struggle for freedom, and the EFF backed the report. In its own words: “The visit underscores the importance of South Africa fully recognising the One China policy.”

M K Montwedi, an EFF MP, said this in a debate in Parliament about abuses against minority groups around the world. He means South Africa should treat Taiwan as part of China, not as its own country. So he says Taiwan's office cannot stay in the city where foreign embassies are. He says the Vienna Convention, a world agreement on how embassies work, backs this. The EFF does not want South Africa to change how it deals with other countries. In its own words: “We as South Africa have long supported the One China policy and Taiwan, in terms of the Vienna Convention, must leave Pretoria as Pretoria is designated for diplomatic missions only.”

Julius Malema, the EFF leader, said this, EWN reported. US President Donald Trump had said South Africa may not attend the 2026 G20 meeting in Miami. The G20 is a group of big economies that meet each year, and South Africa helped start it. Malema wants the other G20 countries to stay away if Trump bars South Africa. He says the South African government has been too careful in how it answered Trump. In its own words: “the EFF calls for a boycott of the G20 in Miami, Florida, if South Africa is not allowed as a founding member as a result of a declaration by Donald Trump.”

The EFF said this in a statement, IOL reported. It was answering US President Donald Trump's order to punish South Africa and cut US aid. The EFF says the US did this because South Africa took Israel to the International Court of Justice, the United Nations' top court. It says the claims about land were not the real reason. It wants South Africa to grow closer to Russia, China and the other BRICS countries. In its own words: “This is a testament to the erratic nature of policy-making that has overtaken US foreign policy, which is controlled by emotions and misinformation”

Nqobile Mhlongo, who leads the EFF's work on other countries, spoke about Venezuela, EWN reported. The US had captured Venezuela's president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife. She says this military action broke the law. The EFF wants countries around the world to cut off the US government. It warns that other countries, South Africa among them, could be next, and plans protests to support the people of Venezuela.

The EFF brought a motion to Parliament asking the government to cut all ties with Israel and close its embassy. In its own words: “we are here to introduce the EFF motion on the termination of all diplomatic relationship with the apartheid State of Israel, in particular, the removal of its embassy from our land”

All 43 EFF MPs present voted to ask the government to close Israel's embassy and cut ties. The ANC had changed the EFF's motion so ties stay cut until a ceasefire and UN-led talks. The motion passed, 248 votes to 91.

At an EFF march to Israel's embassy, Julius Malema compared Hamas to South African freedom fighters such as O.R. Tambo and Chris Hani, The Citizen reported. Hamas then ran Gaza. In its own words: “He did exactly what Hamas is doing. O.R. Tambo did the same thing. Chris Hani did the same thing. Winnie Mandela did the same thing. Steve Biko did the same thing. There is nothing wrong with what Hamas is doing,”

An EFF MP backed a bill giving more state money to continue South Africa's ICJ case against Israel. The bill also held about R5 billion for SANRAL, the national roads agency. In its own words: “This Special Appropriation Bill seeks to allocate additional funds to the President, the Department of International Relations and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development to continue the fight at the International Court of Justice.”

The EFF met Russia's ambassador, Ilya Rogachev, in Tshwane, TimesLIVE reported. Afterwards it said there is nothing wrong with Russia protecting its land. This was weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine. In its own words: ““There is nothing wrong with Russia protecting its territory.” So says the EFF after meeting the Russian ambassador to SA Ilya Rogachev in Tshwane, on Wednesday.”

On Human Rights Day 2022, Julius Malema spoke to NATO and America, TimesLIVE reported. NATO is a military alliance of the US, Canada and European countries. In its own words: “Russia never isolated us. Today we are here say to Nato and to America — we are not with you, we are with Russia.”

EFF chief whip Floyd Shivambu objected, for South Africa, to a resolution of the Inter-Parliamentary Union condemning Russia's invasion, News24 reported. He said parts of it would harm the union's role as a fair go-between. In its own words: “saying certain clauses of the resolution would jeopardise the IPU's role and obligation as an impartial mediator”

The International Criminal Court had asked for Putin's arrest. Julius Malema then said no one would arrest Putin in South Africa, IOL reported. He said the EFF would fetch him from the airport. In its own words: “Putin is welcome here, and no one is going to arrest Putin. If need be, we are going to fetch Putin from the airport, take him to his meeting where he will address and finish his meetings, and we will take him back to the airport,”

Julius Malema told the BBC that, as president, he would side with Russia in the war and even supply it with weapons, TimesLIVE reported. In its own words: “I will go beyond the friendship with Russia. In the war, I would align with Russia and even supply weapons to Russia. Russia is in a war with imperialism.”

Julius Malema said "We are Putin, and Putin is us", IOL reported. He blamed Ramaphosa for Putin not coming to the BRICS summit in South Africa. On AGOA, a US trade deal, he said the US "can take away Agoa and leave us with our sovereignty". In its own words: “We are with President Putin and we want to say to President Putin, it is not us South Africans who have refused you from coming into the country, it is Ramaphosa. The coward Ramaphosa who could not guarantee we will not arrest Putin. We are Putin, and Putin is us”

Julius Malema spoke in Parliament's debate after the US cut its aid to South Africa. He said South Africa must keep standing with Palestine and Russia. He also said "The world must move forward without the USA". In its own words: “We must unashamedly continue to stand with Palestine and Russia.”

The US had expelled Ebrahim Rasool, South Africa's ambassador there. The EFF then said Ramaphosa should refuse Joel Pollak if the US picks him as its ambassador here, EWN reported. In its own words: “The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) said President Cyril Ramaphosa must block the ambassadorship of the “divisive” Joel Pollak if he is picked to represent the United States (US) in South Africa.”

Malema, Mr. Julius Sello. Description: Engraved wooden plaque | Value: Unknown | Source: Embassy of the People"s Republic of China

Malema, Mr. Julius Sello. Description: Bottle of Wine and Lindt Lindor chocolate | Value: Unknown | Source: Liu Kaiyang of the Embassy of the People"s Republic of China

Malema, Mr. Julius Sello. Description: Traditional Wood Statues | Value: unknown | Source: His Excellency, Sarajide Olusola Sanwo-olu, The Governor of Lagos State of Nigeria