The EFF has put the youth at the centre of its campaign for the upcoming local government elections, with its manifesto carrying the slogan: ‘Victory or death’.

Led by Julius Malema, the party is targeting South Africans aged 18 to 35 with promises of jobs, municipal procurement opportunities, apprenticeships, internships and free driver’s licence training.

The EFF seeks to rebuild support after securing just less than 10% of the national vote in the 2024 elections. Since then, Malema has made various provincial appearances across South Africa, highlighting some of his most popular promises, including his pledge to increase Sassa payments by more than R2 000 per month per person.

The manifesto was launched in Limpopo in July.

Free basic services promised

Like other South African political parties, the EFF has placed basic municipal services at the heart of its manifesto, promising free basic electricity, water and sanitation, as well as the writing off of historical debt owed by poor households. It also wants to eliminate bucket and unsafe toilets and provide free installation of prepaid electricity meters.

One of the manifesto’s main themes is insourcing. The EFF promises to reduce municipalities’ reliance on contractors, labour brokers and consultants by directly employing municipal engineers, electricians, plumbers, artisans and planners.

Manifesto rooted in socialist ideology

But how realistic are these promises, and what do they reveal about the EFF’s strategy as it heads into the local government elections?

Ntsikelelo Breakfast, an associate professor and head of the Department of History and Political Studies at Nelson Mandela University, says the manifesto needs to be understood within the context of the EFF’s socialist ideology.

“Whether the EFF manifesto is realistic depends on its ideology. A manifesto is rooted in an ideological framework, and the EFF is a socialist organisation.

“That explains commitments such as free electricity, free water and free education. These promises come directly from its ideological position.

“The DA’s manifesto, by contrast, places much greater emphasis on the role of the private sector. So, ultimately, it is a question of ideology.”

Breakfast also believes the EFF’s ‘Victory or death’ slogan carries a deliberately confrontational message.

“The slogan sounds sinister and has a negative connotation because death is associated with something frightening and horrible. I would interpret it as meaning ‘do or die’ or ‘make or break’ – essentially, that it is the EFF’s way or the highway.

“The EFF has always been a very controversial political party, and its approach can be highly confrontational.”

Targeting disengaged youth

Since its inception in 2013, the EFF’s target audience has largely been young people, particularly young black South Africans affected by unemployment, inequality and poverty. It has established a base among young people in townships who are angry because they feel excluded from the economy.

“We also have to understand that the slow pace of service delivery has led many people in townships to stop going to the polls. That can itself be a form of political protest. There is also a politically disengaged youth who becomes visible mainly during violent service delivery protests,” Breakfast says.

He believes the EFF is addressing the right issues on electricity and water because these are two of the biggest problems affecting people.

“In townships, many people cannot afford their electricity bills. Power is expensive, while many households depend on social grants. If someone is living on a grant of R300, R500 or R1 000, how can they afford electricity and other municipal charges such as water?

“This creates an environment in which people may resort to illegal electricity connections. Those connections can also be dangerous, particularly for children, because of exposed wires and other hazards.”

Calls to increase old age grant to R4 500

Malema also addressed EFF supporters in Mpumalanga last Saturday, where he criticised the value of social grants, particularly the monthly old age grant. He argued that many older South Africans are raising their grandchildren and that the current grant, which ranges from R2 400 to R2 420, is insufficient. He called for the old age grant to be increased to at least R4 500 a month.

“But that is where the problem lies,” says Breakfast, pointing to the competing views on South Africa’s finances.

He says the DA argues that government cannot spend more than it has without increasing the budget deficit and adding to the country’s debt, while the EFF wants to expand spending and provide more benefits.

“The fundamental question remains: Where will the money come from?”

Breakfast says some of the EFF’s commitments have been made while the party is outside government and may prove difficult to fulfil if it comes to power.

“Any plan requires the financial resources to implement it.”

Personality vs policy in voter choices

Breakfast says he does not believe most EFF voters necessarily vote based on the party’s socialist ideology, which he describes as an abstract concept that few voters could clearly explain.

Instead, he argues the EFF is largely personality-driven, particularly by Julius Malema, whose humorous and charming public persona appeals to many supporters.

Electoral challenges and coalition history

But the EFF’s ideological positioning may not be enough to translate its manifesto into electoral gains.

Breakfast does not believe the party is on an upward electoral trajectory, pointing to the departure of several prominent members who, he says, were able to take supporters with them.

He believes this raises questions about Malema’s leadership style, particularly because political parties depend not only on card-carrying members but also on sympathisers who can shift their support during elections.

The EFF also faces competition for voters from other parties, although Breakfast believes its relationship with the DA is more complicated than a straightforward contest for the same support base. He says the DA and the PA are effectively competing for the same pool of brown voters.

The MK Party presents another challenge, particularly in KZN, where Jacob Zuma remains a strong draw. However, Breakfast believes internal tensions within MK and greater scrutiny of former president Jacob Zuma’s leadership could weaken the party’s initial momentum.

He also does not rule out the EFF working with the DA if it serves the party’s interests.

The EFF initially refused to enter coalitions when it first secured local government representation in 2016, but later supported the DA in several municipalities. Those relationships eventually broke down, partly over disagreements around issues such as land.

By the 2021 local government elections, the EFF was working with the ANC and other parties and secured representation in some mayoral committees.

Breakfast says the EFF’s willingness to work with different parties demonstrates that ideological differences can take a back seat when political interests are at stake.

Focus on basic service delivery

The ideological divide is also evident in how the parties view the private sector. While the DA places greater emphasis on private sector involvement in local economic development, Breakfast argues that government must remain the driving force.

“You need the private sector, but I don’t believe it has a mandate to transform society. The private sector’s mandate is to make money.”

He says government can partner with business but cannot outsource its responsibility for development.

The same principle, he argues, applies to the ANC’s record on basic services such as electricity and water. While the party has claimed credit for providing free services to poor communities, Breakfast says the ANC cannot take full credit for addressing problems that emerged under its watch.

He points to the energy crisis as a national consequence of the mismanagement of Eskom. “It is like patting yourself on the back because you are cleaning up your own mess.”

Ultimately, Breakfast says choosing the strongest manifesto is difficult because each party has its strengths and weaknesses.

At the local government level, he believes voters are less concerned with ideological labels than with whether municipalities can deliver the basics: Reliable water and affordable electricity, housing, jobs, safety and functioning infrastructure.

“People want basic services, functioning infrastructure and an end to problems such as potholes,” he says.

“These are not privileges. They are necessities, and South Africa needs to focus on providing them.”

The views expressed in this report were expressed by the relevant interviewees and the parties they represent, and are not held by this publication.

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