‘We’re down but not out,’ says Malema

EFF leader Julius Malema has described his party’s performance in the 2026 local government elections as a “setback” but not a “defeat”.

He said this was something the party would have to take stock of, using lessons from the local government elections to prepare for the national and provincial polls in 2029.

[Battle] scars do not represent defeat — they represent survival and [the] bravery of revolutionaries who had the courage to fight

EFF support dropped from 10.3% in the 2021 local polls to 6.2% in 2026.

“We knew from the [outset] that these elections [would] not be a walk in the park,” said Malema.

“We knew we were going into a battle, and with that comes scars. But scars do not represent defeat — they represent survival and [the] bravery of revolutionaries who had the courage to fight and were ready to die with their boots on.”