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Malema rules out EFF coalitions with DA and FF Plus

Published

The EFF's national vote share fell from 10.31% in 2021 to 6.26% in the 2026 Local Government Elections. Party leader Julius Malema said at the Results Operation Centre in Midrand that the party will assess its performance.

Malema said the EFF has no conditions for working with other parties in municipalities. He said the party will not form coalitions with the Democratic Alliance (DA) or the Freedom Front Plus. He added that the party is open to talks with other parties, even if they do not share its ideology.

The party lost more than 612,000 votes since 2021. Malema said the results will not derail the party's political ambitions. He said they will inform preparations for the 2029 provincial and national elections.

Malema also said the EFF has grown where people live and where councillors face accountability every day in the wards. He said the focus for now is to fix the broken municipalities.

Key facts

Who
Julius Malema (EFF leader); Economic Freedom Fighters (party (EFF)); Democratic Alliance (party); Freedom Front Plus (party)
What
Malema, speaking at the Results Operation Centre in Midrand, said the EFF has no conditions for working with other parties in municipalities and will not form coalitions with the DA or Freedom Front Plus. He acknowledged the party's decline, from 10.31% in 2021 to 6.26% in the 2026 local government elections, and said it will assess its performance.
When
7 November 2026
Where
Midrand, Johannesburg
Status
Reported

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