Malema has refused for the MK party and the EFF to merge for the sake of ‘black’ unity.
As the 2026 Local Government Elections draw nearer the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) are expected to battle it out for votes in various municipalities. But will they survive long enough to compete? And if they do, will they make any impact?
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Following the announcement of a Government of National Unity (GNU) in the aftermath of a May national election that saw no party win an outright majority, the EFF, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, African Transformation Movement (ATM), and other small parties came together to form the progressive caucus.
But this relationship came under strain when the then deputy president of the EFF Floyd Shivambu left the EFF to join the MK party.
He was later followed by a string of leaders; such as Busisiwe Mkhwebane, Mzwanele Manyi and Dali Mpofu.
As the battle lines became clearer, Malema challenged MK party leader Jacob Zuma in public, saying he was not afraid of him.
Got the numbers
But the MK party held a lot of appeal.
While many political parties dipped in numbers after the elections, the MK party scored over 50 seats in the National Assembly.
The party also performed well in KwaZulu-Natal where they received the majority of voters but took the opposition benches after the formation of an IFP-led Government of Provincial Unity (GPU).
Meanwhile, the EFF performed badly in KwaZulu-Natal losing seats seats in the provincial legislature and only remaining with two.
VBS
The EFF’s public image also took a knock as more allegations concerning the involvement of EFF leaders in the collapse of the VBS mutual bank surfaced.
The future of the EFF: Analyst weighs in
Political analyst Sanet Solomon said the MK party could further cut into the EFF’s support and leadership base.
“While it is uncertain who would be leaving the EFF next, we can agree that Zuma is consolidating his support base and working hard behind the scenes in preparation for the 2026 local government elections,” she said.
‘The avid Robin Island chess player still appears to have a few Chess moves up his sleeve. This could be the start of a decisive Checkmate” she said.
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