BLOEMFONTEIN, Free State — The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) officially kicked off its 2026 Local Government Elections manifesto launch in the Free State, with party president Julius Malema rallying supporters in Bloemfontein to prioritize service delivery, job creation, and municipal accountability ahead of the November 4 polls.
The launch took place at the Mangaung Outdoor Sports Centre, where the party outlined its strategic priorities to consolidate support across the province. EFF provincial chairperson Coach Dupo addressed the crowds, highlighting a major milestone for the party: the successful registration of over 70,000 new, first-time voters in the Free State for these upcoming local government elections.
Coach Dupo noted that President Malema was operating on a tight schedule, balancing the Free State launch with a simultaneous provincial manifesto rally in the Northern Cape. Despite the packed itinerary, Dupo emphasized that the president’s address would focus squarely on the livelihoods of Free State residents. Key issues slated for intervention include housing shortages, healthcare access, the repair of collapsing roads, and combating the bad governance in local municipalities, echoing recent critical findings by the Auditor General.
Taking the stage, Julius Malema delivered a fiery address, calling on student leadership and institutions of higher learning to refuse collusion with university management. He reaffirmed the party’s commitment to social welfare, pledging that an EFF-led government would prioritize the care of the elderly, unemployed graduates, and vulnerable children.
Malema specifically targeted the Mangaung Metro, describing it as one of the most poorly run metropolitan municipalities in the country. He urged residents to lead by example and vote the EFF into power to claim true economic freedom, warning supporters not to be “cowards” or allow their votes to be used to “steal from the poor.”
Expanding his message to the Northern Cape, Malema reinforced the EFF’s nine pillars, declaring that economic freedom must extend to the province’s rich mineral wealth and land. He also criticized Eskom, questioning why South Africans continue to endure exorbitant electricity fees despite the country’s abundant resources.
Beyond local government priorities, Malema used the platform to reiterate the party’s national political stance. He declared that the EFF will not back down in pursuing the Phala-Phala matter until President Cyril Ramaphosa is sent to jail. Furthermore, the party is actively challenging the decision of Parliament’s Impeachment Committee to rescind the recommendation of Advocate Thandazani Madonsela as its chief evidence leader in the matter.
As the campaign trail intensifies, the EFF continues to mobilize across multiple provinces, banking on a surge of new youth voters to drive a wave of change in the November 4 local government elections.
