JOHANNESBURG - Daily Maverick associate editor Ferial Haffajee has attributed the EFF’s declining electoral support to what she describes as patronage politics within the party.
The EFF has lost significant ground in the 2026 Local Government Elections, raising questions about its leadership and political strategy.
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Speaking about the party’s performance, Haffajee argued that the party’s involvement in other issues may have distracted it from its political responsibilities.
“We must look to another big occasion, which is the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, which does show us that the party got engaged in patronage politics, and my view is that that's what's showing up now. You're distracted by other things,” she said.