“We still believe in Malema,” says EFF amid poor poll performance

EFF Deputy Secretary General, Poppy Mailola, says if the party’s uncompromising stance on illegal foreign nationals is to blame for its decline in performance at the polls, then so be it.

The EFF is facing a challenging situation as preliminary results show it being ousted from third place at the polls by newcomer, the MK Party.

With over 70% of the votes counted, so far, the EFF is yet to reach one million votes nationally.

Despite speculation that the Zuma-backed MK Party has eroded the EFF’s voter base, Mailola has dismissed this notion, expressing confidence in Julius Malema’s leadership and asserting that the party remains united behind him.

However, some EFF supporters online have attributed the party’s decline to a lack of leadership transformation and its stance on illegal foreign nationals.

Despite the results, EFF leader, Julius Malema, thanked party supporters for their votes.

He says the party remains unfazed by the results and will continue fighting for the economic empowerment of black communities.

Meanwhile, an EFF branch member in Limpopo, Musa Maluleke, has blamed the party’s reluctance to financially invest in door-to-door campaigns for its poor performance.

Maluleke cited an instance in Vuwani where volunteers had to campaign on empty stomachs due to the provincial command office’s failure to provide food allowances.

He emphasised that the party’s only chance to reclaim its supporters is when the national leadership starts engaging with communities. Written by Naomi Kobbie