GQEBERHA, EASTERN CAPE — The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) are pivoting their political strategy for the upcoming Nelson Mandela Bay Local Elections, moving away from a kingmaker position to pursue an outright governing majority, according to EFF national spokesperson Sinawo Thambo.
As political parties intensify their campaigns during the current voter registration weekend, the race for numerical superiority has taken center stage. The critical nature of this registration phase was recently highlighted by Helen Zille during her Johannesburg mayoral candidacy address, where she emphasized that securing control of wards and municipalities begins directly at the voter registration level.
On the ground in Nelson Mandela Bay, the EFF is aggressively challenging the African National Congress (ANC) in its traditional strongholds. Operating out of Ward 25 in Zwide—specifically near the SMB Junior Secondary School voting station—the party has set up registration booths to capitalize on the area’s large voting population.
Nelson Mandela Bay holds a unique place in South Africa’s political history as the first metropolitan municipality to operate under a coalition government, a reality born from the ANC’s inability to secure an outright majority. During the 2016 and 2021 local government elections, the EFF served as the decisive kingmaker. With the ANC and the Democratic Alliance (DA) locked in a tight race, the EFF’s choice to vote with the DA during the inaugural council meetings ultimately determined the metro’s leadership. Now, the party is looking to bypass post-election negotiations entirely.
“We are aiming to deliver a decisive majority for the EFF in Nelson Mandela Bay,” Thambo stated. He positioned the party as the primary force dismantling what he described as the ANC’s arrogance across major metros, including eThekwini, Johannesburg, and Tshwane. “We are fighting tooth and nail to emerge victorious, not for coalition purposes, but for governance,” he added.
To build the necessary voter base, the party launched a comprehensive voter registration campaign on March 21. Registration tables have been deployed across various nodes, including Zwide, Motherwell, New Brighton, and KwaZakhele. Thambo highlighted the party’s heavy investment in youth mobilization during Youth Month, urging young citizens to register and recognize that their future “is in their hands and it is in a ballot.”
Addressing questions regarding the party’s visibility in the metro’s northern suburbs—demographically known as predominantly Coloured areas—Thambo dismissed any notion that the EFF is avoiding these regions. Pledging to visit every sub-region, including the Lilian districts, he declared that there are absolutely “no no-go areas” for the party.
To ensure strict compliance from his own cadres, Thambo issued a public directive to hold party members accountable. He urged citizens to use the EFF’s organizational and personal social media channels to report any voting station in the Eastern Cape or across the country that lacks an EFF presence. Describing a missing party table as an “abdication of duty” by deployed members, Thambo promised that any gaps in their coverage would be addressed immediately as the party marches toward the November polls.