economic freedom fighters' debut in the municipal elections
TRANSCRIPT
Journal of Public Administration • Volume 51 • Number 3.1 • September 2016 596
Economic Freedom Fighters' Debut in the Municipal Elections
Sithembile MbeteUniversity of Pretoria
Abstract
TheEconomicFreedomFighters(EFF)hastransformedtheSouthAfricanpoliticallandscapesinceitwasestablishedin2013.Inthe2016municipalelection,theEFFwon8.2percentofthenationalvotemakingitthethirdbiggestpartyaftertheANCandtheDemocraticAlliance(DA).Itdidnottakeoveranymunicipalities,butitperformedwellenoughtobethekingmaker in13hungcouncils,includingthreemetros.ThispaperdiscussestheEFF'selectoralcampaignandperformanceinthe2016localgeneralelection(LGE).ItaskswhethertheEFFhastranscendedthepersonalitypoliticsofitsleadertoattractitsdesiredconstituencyonabroadscale.Hasthepartymanagedtomovebeyondapoliticsofspectacletodevelopthecontentofitspoliticalvalueproposition?Giventheorganisationalchallengesitfaces,whatareitsprospectsofbeingaseriouscontenderfornationalgovernmentin2019?
IntroductionTheEconomicFreedomFighters(EFF)hastransformedtheSouthAfricanpoliticallandscapesinceitwasestablished,in2013,byexpelledAfricanNationalCongress(ANC)
YouthLeaguepresident,JuliusMalema.Itwon6.3percentofthepopularvoteinitsfirstelectionin2014,allowingittotakeuptwenty-fiveseatsintheNationalAssemblyandtobecometheofficialoppositionintwoprovinces–LimpopoandNorthWest(IEC,2016a).Thiswasaremarkableachievementforapartythathadonlyexistedforafewmonths.Inthe2016municipalelection,theEFFwon8.2percentofthenationalvote,making it the third biggest partyaftertheANCandtheDemocraticAlliance(DA),whichwon53.9percentand26.9percent,respectively.TheEFFdidnotwinanycounciloutright,butreceived761seatsincouncilsnationwide(IEC,2016b).Thiswasasatisfactoryperformanceforanewparty,butfellshortofexpectationsthatitwouldbreachthe10percentthresholdortakeovergovernanceofsomemunicipalities(TimesLive,4August2016).
ElectoralsuccessistheleastoftheEFFstory,though.Through itsdisruptivepoliticalengagementinparliamentanditscleveruseofthecourts,theEFFhassucceededinsettingthenationalpoliticalagendaandstimulatingunprecedentedpublicinterestin the country's political institutions.Itwastheparty'sactivismthatkeptthe
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issueofsecurityupgrades toPresidentJacobZuma'sNkandlahomesteadinthepublicconsciousness,longaftertheANChadhopedtosquashtheissue.TheEFFwasthefirstpartytohighlighttheroleoftheGuptafamilyingovernmentdecisions,makingtheterm"statecapture"apartofthepubliclexicon.Someofthetacticsthepartyusedweredisruptionandnon-cooperationinparliament,leadingtofrequentclasheswith the speakerofparliament,BalekaMbete,andresultedintheirbeing,forci-bly,removedfromtheNationalAssemblychamberonseveraloccasions.ItwastheEFFthatapproachedtheConstitutionalCourt,directly,toinstitutelegalactiontocontesttheadhocNkandlacommitteethat,theyargued,violatedthePublicProtector'sconstitutionalpowers.InApril2016,afullbenchofthecourtconfirmedthepowersofthePublicProtectorandfoundthatZuma"hadfailedtouphold,defendandrespecttheConstitutionasthesupremelawoftheland".(Grootes,2016).ThisfindingisthemostsignificantindictmentofZuma'sleadership,sincehebecamepresidentin2009,andsetthetoneforabruisingcampaignforthe2016localgovernmentelection.
ThattheEFFhashadsuchamajorimpactonSouthAfricanpoliticsindicatesthatthepartyhasprovenitselftobemorethan"a caseofmediahypeover substance"(Friedman,2014).Intherunuptothe2016municipalelection,observerswerecurioustoseewhethertheEFFwouldbeabletorepeatits2014success.Localgovernmentisnotoriouslydifficulttogovernandhasbeenthesiteofwidespreadservicedeliveryprotests across the country.Municipalgovernance issues, such as water andsanitation,roadmaintenanceandwaste
managementrequiretechnicalexpertiseanddonoteasilylendthemselvestothekindofpoliticalspectaclethathasservedtheEFFsowellatnationallevel.Sloganssuchas"Zuptamustfall"and"Paybackthemoney"arehardtotranslatetothemoremundaneadministrative issuesoflocalgovernment.Furthermore,themixedwardandproportionalrepresentation(PR)electoralsystematmunicipallevelrequiresanextensiveorganisationalmachinerytobeabletoputupwardcandidatesinasmanywardsaspossibleacrossthecountry.WouldtheEFFbeabletomobilise,atcommunitylevel,toputupwardcandidates?Wouldthepartyproveitselftobemorethanaone-manshow?
PopulismisausefullensthroughwhichtoassesstheEFF.Manyfeaturesofitspoliticsare consistentwith the riseofpopulistmovementsof "thepeople"against "theelite"inarangeofcontextsacrosstheglobefromtheBrexitcampaign,inBritain,totheRedShirts,inThailand.UsingaframeworkdevelopedbyMoffittandTormey(2014)inapreviousarticle,IanalysedtheEFF'spoliticsintermsoftheconstitutiverelationshipbetweenpoliticalstyleandsubstance.Thiswassignificant,becausetheparty'sdistinctivestylehasbeencriticisedformaskingalackofpoliticalsubstance.Inthesehighlymediatedtimes,whensocialmediahasmadeeveryonewithasmartphoneapotentialbroadcaster,theopticsandspectacleofpoliticsmattersmorethaneverbefore.WhilemuchofthedebateabouttheEFFhasbeenaboutwheretoplaceitontheideologicalspectrum(right-wing/fascistorleft-wing/progressive),IhavearguedthatthisisafalsedichotomythatdoesnothelpusunderstandtheEFF'spolitics,oritsappealtovoters.
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TheMoffittandTormey(2014)modelofpoliticalstylehasthreemainelements:1.Appealto"thepeople",whichtheEFFdidinitsfoundingmanifestowhereitstateditrepresentsthepoor,marginalisedmassesofSouthAfricawhocontinuetobeexploitedbypoliticalandeconomicelites.2.Theuseofcrisis,breakdownandthreattosimplifythetermsofpoliticaldebateandpromoteradical,decisivesolutionstopoliticalprob-lems.ThiswasseenintheEFF'suseoftheMarikanamassacre,beingexpelledfromparliamentarydebatesandtheNkandlacontroversytoadvanceitspoliticalagenda.3."Badmanners"ordisregardforbehavingappropriatelywithintherulesofformalpoliticalinstitutions.ThiswasseenintheEFF's"revolutionary"dresscodeandrefusaltoabidebycertainparliamentaryrules.
Themainpurposeofthisarticle,therefore,istodeterminehowthepartyhastranslatedorharnessed itspopulism in this localelection.Thisisacriticalpointofenquiry,forlocalelectionsarevastlydifferenttonationalelections.Forarelativelynewparty,contestinglocalelectionsisparticularlyhard,asitisstillestablishinglocalpresenceinmanypartsofthecountry.Thispresentsthechallengeofestablishingpartystructureswhile simultaneously, contesting localelections.Howthepartydealtwiththischallengereceivesattentioninthispaper.Followingananalysisoftheparty'sper-formanceinthiselection,thepaperexaminesitsprospectsinthenextnationalelections,scheduledfor2019.
Thearticlebeginswithabriefconceptualdiscussion toset the termsofanalysis.Then itmovesontoanexaminationoftheEFF's2016LGEcampaign,including
itsmanifesto,campaignmethodsandim-portantevents.Thirdly,itdiscussestheEFF'sperformanceintheelectionsaswellasitsroleintheformationofgovernmentsinseveralhungcouncilsacrossthecountry.ItcloseswithsomethoughtsontheEFF'sdevelopmentasapartyanditsprospectsforthe2019elections.
Election CampaignThe2016electioncampaigntookplacewithin a political context of vocal dis-satisfactionwithPresidentJacobZuma'spoliticalleadershipandseveralscandalsabouthisstewardshipofthecountry,in-cludingthefinancingofsecurityupgradestohisprivateresidenceandtheinfluenceoftheGuptafamilyoncabinetappointments.ThiscontextwasadvantageoustotheEFF,asithasbeenattheforefrontofthechargeagainstZuma'sleadership,theclimaxofwhichwastheverdictoftheConstitutionalCourton31March2016thatZumahadviolatedhistermsofofficebyfailingtocomplywiththePublicProtector'sreportontheNkandlaupgrades.Asthepartywascontestingitsfirstlocalgovernmentelection,theattentionandpublicityitreceivedfromitsstanceonnationalgovernmentissueswas an important entry point into its2016campaign.
However,thepartyfacedsignificantchal-lengesinmountingasuccessfulelectioncampaignatlocallevel,becauseofresourceconstraintsandthedifficultyofcontesting,nationwide, ineffectively258separateelectionsatonce(Fakir&Potgieter,2016).ThemixedwardandPRelectoralsystematlocalgovernmentbenefitsbigparties,becausetheycanputupcandidatesinall
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wardsinthecountryandwardvotesarecountedbasedontheoverallproportionofvotesthatisusedtoallocatePRseatsincouncils.ForarelativelysmallpartyliketheEFF,havingenoughcandidatestoruninwardsacrossthecountrycanbeamajorchallenge.Nevertheless,theEFFhadcandidatescontestingineveryprovincein thecountryandalmost themajorityofwards.ThispaperevaluatestheEFF'scampaignintermsoftheparty'srallies,itsmanifestoandcampaigncosts.
Rallies and Manifesto
Attendanceatpoliticalralliesandtheabil-ity tofillupstadiumswas,curiously,aparticularpointofcompetitionbetweentheANC,DAandEFFinthiselection.Whilethisseemsanarbitraryconcerninacountrytroubledbysuchsignificantsocio-economicchallenges,fillingstadiumsbecameaproxyforpoliticalsupportinuncertainpoliticaltimes.BothpoliticiansandpoliticalanalystswereuncertainoftheextenttowhichANCpoliticalscandalshadaffectedtheloyaltyoftheelectorate,theappealofaMmusiMaimane-ledDAand thepopularity oftheEFF.Thus,crowdsatralliesbecameayardstickforpoliticalactorsandobserversalike.AttheEFF'smanifestolaunch,on30April2016, atOrlandoStadium, aswellasthe30July2016TshelaThupaclosing rally at PeterMokaba stadiumin Limpopo, JuliusMalema contrastedtheEFF'sorganicsupportofpeoplewhowillinglyattendedpartyeventswiththealleged"rentacrowd"practiceoftheANC.HeconsistentlycontrastedtheEFF'sappealtothepeopleto"manipulation"bytheANC.TheEFF'scampaignreinforceditsimageasapopulistmassmovementwithwell-attended
ralliesandamanifestothatwasdevelopedthroughaprocessofconsultativemeetingswithconstituentsacrossthecountry.Thispopulism is reflected in themanifestopromises,whichresponddirectlytopopulargrievances,suchastheopeninghoursofmunicipaloffices,alackoffreshfoodintownshipsandinformalsettlementsandtheinaccessibilityofwardcouncillors.
Atthemanifestolaunch,Malemainsistedthatthepartywasmakingcommitments,notpromises,tothepeople,ashedidnotintendtoplaywiththeiremotionsliketheANChas(Munusamy,2016).HereinforcedtheEFFasapartyofblackSouthAfricansbyexplainingthechoiceofhostingthelaunchinSowetowiththewords"theumbilicalcordoftheEFFisburiedhereinSoweto",evokingthepracticeusedinallAfricanculturestointroduceachildtotheancestorsandestablishitshome(Malema,2016a).TheleadersandactivistsoftheJune1976uprisingwereinvokedastheancestorsinwhoselegacythepartyfollows.MalemasetouttoestablishtheEFF'srevolutionarycredentials,exemplifiedin"shakingpar-liament"byrejectingtheEurocentricdresscode and seeing to the eradication ofthecolonialandapartheidlegacyintheinstitution(Malema,2016a)
Intheopeningremarksofthemanifesto,Malemastatesthat"theEFFcontestspoliticalpowerthroughelectionswithinthedifficultconfinesofelectoralrulesandsystemsthatfavourexistingpoliticalparties.TheEFF'scontestationofpoliticalpowerthroughelectionsshould,however,notbemistakenwithourrevolutionarydeterminationtoremovethecurrentgovernmentbyotherrevolutionarymeans"(EFF,2016:1).Malema
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goesontocriticisethestructureoflocalgovernment, which he argues is inap-propriatefortheSouthAfricancontext.Thesystemofconditionalgrants,inwhichmunicipalities apply for funding fromprovincial andnational government, isdiscriminatoryagainstruralandpoormu-nicipalities,astheyareunabletogenerateadditionalincomefromtheirresidentsanditisunsuitablefor"apoliticallypolarisedenvironment",becausethesegrantscanbemanipulatedforpoliticalends(EFF,2016:1).Malema contends that the funding ofmunicipalitiesmerelyreproducesapartheidstructuralandspatialinequalities,becausethesystemisbasedonassumptionsthatallcitizensareemployed,liveinformalhousingandcansustainthemunicipalitythroughratesandtaxes.Thissystemisinappropriateinacountrywithhighunem-ploymentandpoverty.Thisclaimisfalse,however.Thesystemofconditionalgrantswas instituted to, specifically,mitigateincomeinequalitybetweenmunicipalitiesbyprovidingadditionalfinancialsupporttopoormunicipalities.Thisisanotherexampleoftheparty'spopulism,asitusespopularstatements that resonatewithordinarycitizens,regardlessoftheirfactualvalidity.Thisquestioningofthepoliticalsystemanditsadequacyforservingtheneedsof"thepeople",while,simultaneously,presentingamanifestoforparticipationinthesystem,isapopuliststrategythatallowsthepartytoaccepttheperksofparticipationwithouthavingtotakefullresponsibilityforthesystem'seffects.TheEFFisnowoneofthe "existingpoliticalparties" favouredby the electoral systembecause it canaccessfundsfromtheIEC,onthebasisofitsparliamentaryrepresentationandhasaccess to importantfinancial resources
suchastheshareitreceivesfromitsMPs'salaries.Yet,itcontinuestosetitselfapartfromtheeliteandidentifyitselfaspartofthemajorityofSouthAfricanswhoareexcludedfromformalpoliticalinstitutions.Strategically,thisallowsthepartytoem-phasiseits"newcomer"statusandminimisetheexpectationsoftheelectorate.
AccordingtoMalema,themanifestowasdevelopedoutof1000meetingsacrossSouthAfricatofindouttherealdemandsofthepeople.Theideasinthemanifestowere,thus,generatedbythe"poorestofthepoor"inruralareas,townshipsandsquattercamps–those"ordinarypeople,particularlytheblacknation,whoareignoredandnotlistenedtobyanyone"(Malema,2016a).Thegoalofrespondingtothedirectgrievancesofcommunitiesisevidentinthemanifesto,whichcontainsamotleymixofissuesthatfallwithinthejurisdictionoflocal,provincialandnationalgovernment.Thisisexplicitlystatedinthemanifestointroduction,whichsaysthatthepartyseekstousemunicipalitiesforeconomictransformationbygoingbeyondthelegislatedresponsibilitiesoflocalgov-ernmentandimplementingprogrammesforeducation,skills,safetyandsecurity,training,healthcareandthefoodeconomy.Thereareseven"corevalues"onwhichthemanifestoisbased:
● Buildinglocalstatecapacitywiththeaimofabolishingtenders.
● Creatingsustainablejobsforresidentsofthemunicipality.
● Provisionofqualitybasicservicessuchaswater,sanitation,healthcare,elec-tricityandcleancommunitiesforall.
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● Providingaconduciveandaccessibleenvironmentforeducation,skillsandtraining.
● Buildingandmaintainingqualityandsafeinfrastructureforallthroughlabourabsorptiveandefficientmethods.
● Stimulatinglocaleconomicactivityandparticipationthroughthelocalisationofeconomicactivities.
● Guaranteeingsafetyandsecurityforall(EFF,2016:5-6).
Specificmanifestopromisesareintendedto focus on the needs of "the people".Thesepromisesincludebuildingfreshfoodmarketsineachmunicipalitytoselllocalproduce,openingmunicipalofficessixdaysaweektoaccommodatefull-timeworkers,andthedirectemploymentofallmunicipalworkerswithadecentwageandbenefits.One of the primary responsibilities ofmunicipalitiesisthezoninganddistributionofland.Municipalitiesoftenownextensivetractsof landandarealso responsiblefordeterminingthepurposesforwhichprivatelandcanbeused.GiventhatlandexpropriationisoneoftheEFF'sorganisingtenets,itsmanifestocommitmentsonlandare important.Among itspromisesarepassingby-lawstoexpropriateandallocatelandequitablyforresidential,industrialandotheractivities"withtheprincipleofuseitorloseit",allocatinglandto"ordinarycitizens",allocatingstandstopeopleforfree,theprovisionofbulkservicestoalllanddesignatedforresidentialuse,providingadditionallandforburial,providingbulkirrigationservices foragricultural landandmakinglandavailableforreligious,
recreationalandsportingfacilities(EFF,2016:9-10).Thepartycommitstobuildingspacioushouseswithaseparatekitchen,livingareaandaminimumoftwobedroomstoallowparents"totoucheachotherwithoutthedisturbanceofchildren"andimprovethequalityoflifeofthepeople(EFF,2016:13;Malema,2016a). In those caseswherepeoplecanaffordtobuildhouses,thepartypromisestoprovidestandswithallbasicservicesincludingflushtoilets.Thiskindofdirectappealtopeople'simmediateneedswasmetwiththeloudestcheersbythecrowdatOrlandoStadiumandisindicativeoftheeffectivenessoftheEFF'spopulistmessage.
AnotablefeatureoftheEFF'smanifestocommitmentsistheirfocusonthecharacterandresponsibilitiesoftheparty'selectedlocalgovernmentrepresentatives.Aftercriticising the non-responsiveness andunaccountabilityofANCcouncillors,theparty setsout a list of idealbehaviourforitsrepresentatives.TheseincludeEFFcouncillorsresidingwheretheyareelectedandhavinganopendoorpolicyintheircommunities,holdingatleastonecommun-itymeetingpermonth,beingavailable24hoursperday,beingamother/fatherfiguretoallorphansintheirwards,makingsurenooneintheirwardsgoeshungry,assistingintheburialofallpoorpeopleintheirwardsandensuringthatallschoolsandclinicsintheirwardshavewaterandelectricity.AmongthequalitiesoftheEFF'srevolutionarycouncillorsare:
● Arevolutionarycouncillorisawell-informed/knowledgeableprofessionalin the way he/she approaches thepoliticalquestionofrevolution.
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● Arevolutionarycouncillorabolisheshis/heregoandattachmentstopersonalsuccess;sheorheisselfless.
● Arevolutionarycouncillorisneverde-pressed,boredandsad;thereisalwayssomethingtodoandrevolutionaryac-tionstobetaken.
● Arevolutionarycouncillordoesnotholdgrudgesorcomplainaboutun-necessarymatters.
● Arevolutionarycouncilloralwaysreadsandlistenstopeopletounderstandthestrugglesandsufferingofthepeopleontheground.
● Arevolutionarycouncillordoesnotdwellintheconspicuousconsumeristpracticesthatseektoblindlyshowoffprivilege(EFF,2016:22-23).
Thesestandardsofconductareunrealisticevenbymanifestostandardsastheyexpectalmostsuperhumanlevelsofenergyandcommitmentfromthemeremortalswhostandforpublicelection.Itissignificantthatthesecommitmentsapplytodirectlyelectedwardcouncillors,morethanthoseelectedonthePRballot.SincetheEFFendedupwinningveryfewwardsinthiselection,receivingthemajorityofitscouncilseatsonthePRportionofthemixedsys-tem,thesearecommitmentsthatwillnotbewidelytestedinpractice.
Campaign Funding
AmidrumoursthattheANCspentnearlyR1billiononitscampaignandtheDAspentR350million,thereweremanyquestions
askedaboutthecostoftheEFF'scampaignandhow it raised funds. In2015, theparty'snationalspokesman,MbuyiseniNdlozi,admitted that "ThequestionofresourcesisthebiggestchallengefortheEFF.Findingthemoneyforcampaigningtohavetheabilitytosupportthemovementistough"(eNCA,24July2015).ThepartyhostedafundraisinggaladinnerafteritsmanifestolaunchinMay2016.Address-ingabout100potentialdonors,Malemareportedlyasked them tocommit toamonthlysubscriptionofR1000amonthtotheparty.Hereportedlysaid"Ifyouaretruetothecause,askfortheformstosignasubscriptionandsay:‘I'mgoingtodonateR2000,R3000,R1000,totheEFFeverymonth."Especiallythenextthreemonths–theyareverycrucial(TheCitizen,2May2016).
Aftertheelection,MalemastatedthatthepartyhadspentlessthanR10milliononitsentirecampaign.InaninterviewwithSamMkokeli(2016)fromtheFinancialMail,hesaidoftheparty'scampaignmethod,"it'snotexpensiveatall,becauseintheEFFwemaximisethelittleresourceswehave.Wesleepinthesamerentedplaces,wesharethesmallaccommodation,wetravelinthesamecars,wehavenoconvoysandthemobilisationdependslargelyonwordofmouth,becausetherearenopostersandnoleaflets".Apparently,thepartyhadanumberoflargelogisticstruckscontainingpublicaddresssystemsthatallowedthemtoorganisemeetingsandralliesonthespot.AccordingtoMkokeli,severalcommunitymeetingswerehosteddailywithMalemadoing"threesuchmeetingsaday,withhisleadershipcolleaguesdoingthesameinotherpartsof thecountry".Aparty
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spokesmansaidthisallowedthepartytospeakto"plus-minus50000peopleinadayandwehaven'tspentmorethanR10000."(Mkokeli,2016).
AtthePolokwanerally,MalemaexplainedthattheEFF'scampaignwasfundedthroughitsallocationfromtheIEC,compulsorycon-tributionsfromitsMPsandabankloanfromStandardBank.Headded:"Wedidn'thavemoneyfromgovernment.Wedon'thavemoneyfromtenderpreneurs.Wedon'thavemoneyfromallthosedodgycharacters"(Malema,2016b).Todispelanydoubts,Malemachallengedthemediatolookattheparty'sbookstoseewhereitsmoneycomesfrom,astheyhavenothingtohide.ThepointwastounderscorethattheEFFisnotaproxyforanyinterests;itsmembersarecommittedtotheparty'scause;hence,they'remakingfinancialcontributions;andthatthepartyisgenuineinitsmessage.This,thepartyargued,putthemincontrasttotheANC.
Accordingly,theANC'suseofmoneyforitscampaignisapointtheEFFfrequentlybroughtupduringandaftertheelection.On8September,thepartyopenedacaseofcorruptionandmaladministrationagainstformerTshwanemayor,KgosientsoRamok-gopa,fortheallegeduseofthemunicipalbudgettopayforANCbillboardsduringtheelectioncampaign.Tshwanecouncillor,BenjaminDisoloane,accusedtheANCoffinancialmalfeasance:"FinancialresourcesoftheCitywere,fraudulently,usedtoboosttheelectoralfortunesofthecorruptanduselessANCintheirdismalbidtowintheCityagain.DespiteusingtheresourcesoftheCitytocampaign,theresidentsofTsh-wanestillrejectedthecorruptANC"(eNCA,
9September2016).TherelationshipbetweenmoneyandpoliticsisasorepointformanySouthAfricancitizens,asitisseenasthesourceofgovernmentcorruption.APewGlobalsurveyfoundSouthAfricansrankedgovernmentcorruptionasthethirdbiggestproblemfacingthecountry(aftercrimeandalackofemploymentopportunities)(Wikeetal.,2016).TheEFFcleverlyplayedontheseconcernstodistinguishitselffromtheANCandtoalsoprotectitselffromac-cusationsofcorruption.
Election PerformanceTheEFFimprovedonitsprevioustally.Italso landed in the covetedpositionofkingmakerinseveralimportantcouncils,includingfourmetropolitanmunicipal-ities.
Breakdown of Electoral Performance
TheEFFhadanotableperformanceintheelection,winning8.19percentofthevotecomparedtothe6.3percentthatitwonin2014,anearlytwo-pointincrease.ThismadeitthethirdbiggestpartyaftertheANC,whichwon53.9percent,andtheDA,whichwon26.9percent.In2014,theEFFwonatotalof1169259ofthenationalvote,whichalmostdoubledinthiselectionto2282385.Thepartydidnotwinanycounciloutright,butwon761seatsnationally.MostoftheseseatswerePRseats.TheEFFwononlyeightwardseatsnationwide,whichwasabigdisappointmentforapartythatclaimstorepresentthewillofthepeople.Aprovincialbreakdownoftheparty'sper-formanceprovidesapictureofwhereithaditsstrongestshowing.
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Fromthetableabove,itisclearthattheEFFimproveditsperformanceinalltheprovinces. ItreceivedthemostvotesinGauteng,LimpopoandNorthWest,whichconsolidates these provinces as partystrongholds.IntheNorthWestandLimpopo,itwasthesecondbestperformingpartyaftertheANC.TheEFF'sperformanceinLimpopoandNorthWestchallengestheidea,panderedaftertheelection,thattheANClostsupportinonlyurbanareas,thusbecomingaruralparty.Inthesemostlyruralprovinces,theEFFsucceededinerodingtheANC'ssupport.AsPhadi,PearsonandLesaffre(2016)argue,theEFF's"ideologyresonateswithlifeexperiencesinthisruralminingmilieu.Duringtheelections,self-professedEFFvotersechoedsomeofthekeypillarsoftheparty'smanifesto.Callsforeconomicfreedomanddenunciationsof whitemonopoly capitalism strike achordwithmanywhoseprincipalsourceofemploymentcomesfrommassivemulti-nationalcompanies."Furthermore,severalEFForganiserswerelocalactivistswithahistoryofpromotingcommunityandlabourstrugglesthatpredatetheEFF.These
activistscontributedtotheEFF'ssuccessbyconnectingtheparty'srhetorictolocalissues.Theroleplayedbythesekindsofgrass-rootsactivists,ingrowingtheEFF,hasbeenunder-investigatedbythemediaandpoliticalanalysts.
InMpumalangaandtheNorthernCape,thepartygrewbyoverthreepointscomparedto2014. Itappears tohavebeenmoredifficult for the party tomake inroadsintotheEasternCapeandWesternCape,whereitwon5.3percentand2.73percent,respectively.ThisoverallperformancemasksthefactthatintheBuffaloCityandNelsonMandelaBaymetrosthepartyperformedwellincertainwards,erodingtheANC'ssupportbase.Forexample,inKwanobuhleandMotherwell,thepartywon11.2percentand11.27percentrespectively.KwanobuhlewasastrongholdoftheNationalUnionofMetalworkersofSouthAfrica (NUMSA,whichwasformerlypartoftheANCalliancethroughtheCongressofSouthAfricanTradeUnions(Cosatu))in2015,buthassupportedoppositionpartiessincethen.ItappearsthatdisgruntledANCvotersinthatareashiftedtotheEFF.TheEFFwonward43bydefault,becausetheANCfailedtoregisterawardcandidate;significantly,itbeattheUnitedFrontcandidate,reflectingitssuccessinovertakingNUMSAinattractingworkingclasssupport.
The Kingmakers
Despitenotwinningcontrolofanycouncil,theEFF'selectoralperformanceallowedittobekingmakerinseveralhungmunicipal-itiesacrossthecountry.Thereweretwenty-sevenhungmunicipalitiesnationwideineveryprovinceexceptMpumalanga.The
1.641.801.081.626.073.142.393.750.621.96
2014Province 2016 Gain/LossEC 3.48 5.12FS 8.15 9.95GAUTENG 10.30 11.38KZN 1.85 3.47LIMP 10.74 16.81MP 6.26 9.40NW 13.21 15.60NC 4.96 8.71WC 2.11 2.73NATIONAL 6.35 8.31
Source: Electoral Commission of South Africa
TABLE 1: EFF gains/losses perprovince by percentage
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WesternCapeandKwaZulu-Natalhadthemosthungmunicipalitieswitheightandseven,respectively.Amongthehungmu-nicipalitieswere fourmetromunicipal-ities,includingtheCityofJohannesburg,EkurhuleniandTshwaneinGauteng,andNelsonMandelaBayintheEasternCape.ThehungmetrosaredisplayedinTable2below.
ThebiggestimplicationofthelossofthemetroswasthattheANClostcontrolofasignificantportionofthelocalgovernmentbudget.Two-thirdsofallspendingatmu-nicipallevelisdonebytheeightmetros,atotalbudgetofR233bnin2016.TheANCsecuredanelectoralmajorityinonlythreeofthoseandaminoritygovernmentinone.Itheldsevenbeforetheelection.Johannesburg'sbudget isthe largestatR56.2bn,withTshwaneatR32.5bnand
NelsonMandelaBayatR11.3bn.Ekurhuleni,wheretheANCformedacoalitiongovern-ment,hasR37.4bn.CapeTown,whichhasbeengovernedbytheDAfortenyears,hasR40bn.TheANCretainscontroloverBuffaloCity(R7.6bn),eThekwini(R38.5bn),andMangaung(R9.6bn).TheANCnowcontrolsonly40percentofthebudgetformetromunicipalitiescompared to83percentbeforetheelection.Thistranslatestoamassivelossofresourceofpatronage,aswellasanopportunitytodemonstratethatitcanimprovethelivesoftheever-importanturbanvoters.
After the election, the EFF said that itwasopentospeakingtoanypartythatapproacheditforacoalitiondeal,butitwouldnotengageinanynegotiationthatsoughttounderminethewillofthepeople.Itwouldapproachnegotiationswiththe
Party Johannesburg Ekurhuleni Tshwane Nelson Mandela BayACDP 1 1 1 1AIC 4 4 0 1Al Jama-ah 1 0 0 0ANC 121 109 89 50COPE 1 1 1 1DA 104 77 93 57EFF 30 25 25 6FF+ 1 2 4 0IFP 5 2 0 0IRASA 0 1 0 0PA 1 1 0 1PAC 0 1 1 0UDM 1 0 0 2UFEC 0 0 0 0Total 270 224 214 119Governing Coalition DA+ ANC+ DA+ DA+
Source: Electoral Commission of South Africa
TABLE 2: Hung metropolitan municipalities
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ANC from a principle of no coalitions,becauseitrefusedtolegitimisetheZumaadministration.ThisleftittoconsideracoalitiondealwiththeDA,apartywiththeexactoppositeideologicalandpoliticalfoundations.ManyquestionedthewisdomoftheEFFgoingintocoalitionwithapartythathasprivateproperty,capitalism,deregulationandminimalstateinterventionassomeofitskeyideologicaltenets,especiallyinthethreeGautengmetrosthatmakeupSouthAfrica'seconomicheartland.Inhispost-electionpressconference,Malemamadeitclearthathispartywouldnotpursuecoalitionsatallcosts.IntheinstanceoftheDA,thismeantthattheEFFwouldnotjoinacoalitionwiththeDAunlesstherehadbeenanagreementonlandexpropri-ationandnationalisation.HesetoutthreepossibleoptionsbeingconsideredbytheEFF:1.Coalitions;2.Re-runofelections–memorablepoliticalrhetoric,butnotanoptionwithintheMunicipalElectoralAct;3.Abstain–choosingtoabstainfromallelectionsformayorsandspeakersinhungmunicipalities(IOL,5August2016).
In the event, the EFF decided againstformingacoalitionwitheithertheANCortheDA.ThedecisionwasannouncedatapressconferenceinAlexandrainthemiddleoftheveld,outsidetheinformalsettlementofSetjwetla.Thechoiceofthelocationwasamasterfuluseofopticsandpoliticalspectacleas itwas theperfectjuxtapositiontotheDA'spressconferenceheldtwohourslater,onthesameday,inaplushboardroominwealthySandton,lessthan10kmfromAlexandra(HeraldLive,17August2016).Atthepressconference,MalemadetailedtheconditionshispartyhadsetforacoalitionwiththeANC,includingthe
removalofJacobZumaaspresidentofSouthAfricaandthenationalisationofminesandbanks.BecausetheANCrefusedtoaccedetotheseconditions,Malemaexplained,theEFFdecidednottogointocoalitionwithapartyof"kleptocracyandcorruption".TheEFFalsorefusedtojoinaDAcoalition,becauseitwas"thepartyofwhiteracists"(Malema,2016c).MalemawasinsistentthattheEFFwouldonlygointopowerthroughadecisivemandatefromthepeopleandnot"throughashortcut".
Nevertheless,thepartyhaddecidedtosupportoppositionpartiestoformgovernmentsinthevarioushungmunicipalitiesbyvotingwiththemtoenablecouncilstobeformed,butitwouldnotparticipateingovernance.WhatthismeantwasthatthepartywouldvotewiththeIFPinKwaZulu-Natal,theServiceDeliveryForuminRustenburgandtheDA in the fourhungmetros.WhenaskedaboutthecontradictionsbetweentheEFFandDA'spolicypositions,MalemadescribedtheDAasa"betterdevil"thantheANC(Malema,2016c).TheEFF'svoteinfluencedtheelectionof leadersin14outof27hungmunicipalities,asnotedinTable3onthefollowingpage.IthelpedbringDAmayorstopower inTshwane,JohannesburgandNelsonMandelaBay,SollyMsimanga,HermanMashabaandAthollTrollip,respectively.
TheEFFvotedforDAmayorsinMetsimaholomunicipalityintheFreeState(EWN,22August2016),MogaleCity inGauteng(EWN, 19 August 2016), Modimolle/Mookgopong (BusinessDay, 23August2016)andThabazimbi(SABC,26August2016)inLimpopo.OneoftheEFF'sgoalswastovoteouttheANC'sleadershipin
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Rustenburg,insupportoftheminersinMarikana.Afterthefirstattempttovoteformunicipal leaderswasdisruptedbyfightingbetweenEFFandANCcouncillors,theANCsucceededinhavingincumbentMayorMphoKhunonre-elected.
InKwaZulu-Natal,theEFFvotedwiththeIFPtoenablethelattertotakecontroloftheAbaQulusi(VryheidHerald,23August2016),Endumeni(NorthernNatalCourier,18August2016)andJozinimunicipalities.Afterfiveunsuccessfulattemptsatformingagovernment, itseemedasthoughthe
JoziniresultwouldbedecidedbyacointossuntilamysteryspoiltballotwithintheANC-factiongavetheIFPcandidatethelead(BusinessDay,16September2016).TheelectionofofficialsinNqutuwasstillpendingatthetimeofwritingbecausetheEFFhadexpelleditsPRcouncillorfromthepartyandhadtakenhimtocourttopreventhimfromtakinghisseatinthecouncil.Thecouncillorobtainedacourtorderon1Septembertoretainhisposition,sotheEFFobtainedacourtordersuspendingallmunicipalmeetingsuntilacourthadsettledtheintra-partydispute(IOL,13September
Rustenburg
Modimolle/Mookgopong
ANC 13, DA 7, EFF 6,VF+ 2
ANC 43, EFF 24, DA 14,F4SD 4, AIC 1, VF+ 1,UDM 1, BCM 1
ANC+
Seat AllocationMunicipalityProvince TotalSeats
MinimumRequired
WinningCoalition
4589
DA+
Undecided
3977Gauteng
North-West
Limpopo
Metsimaholo
IFP+
IFP+
IFP+
IFP+
DA+
DA+
713KwaZulu-Natal
Mogale City
Endumeni
1733
2344
2140
2140
1223
1528
Nqutu
AbaQulusi
Jozini
Mtubatuba
Thabazimbi
ANC 19, DA 12, EFF 8,MCA 2, VF+ 1
ANC 38, DA 27, EFF 9, VF+ 2, IFP 1
ANC 6, IFP 4, DA 2,EFF 1
IFP 15, ANC 14, NFP 2,EFF 1, DA 1
ANC 21, IFP 19, DA 3,EFF 1
ANC 19, IFP 18, EFF 1,DA 1, Independent 1
IFP 18, ANC 18, DA 2,EFF 1, AIC 1
ANC 10, EFF 5, DA 5,TRA 2, VF+ 1
DA+2242Free State
Source: Paul Berkowitz http://paulberkowitz.co.za/coalition-politics-whats-possible-outside-of-the-metros/
TABLE 3: Hung local municipalities in which the EFF was influential
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2016).Thisdelayedtheformationofagov-ernmentinNqutu.
TheNqutucaseisthemostextremeexampleof the inherent tensions in formingandsustaininggovernmentsinhungcouncils.TensionsbetweentheEFFandDAinJohan-nesburgemergedwhenHermanMashabaannouncedthatthecitywouldprivatisetherefuseremovalservice,Pikitup.TheEFF threatened to challenge any suchprivatisation,asitgoesagainsttheparty'scoreprinciples(IOL,31August2016).On14September,theEFFreiteratedthatitwoulddecidewhethertosupportanyinitiativesoftheDA-ledmunicipalities,onacase-by-casebasis,inTshwaneandJohannesburg.TheEFF'sGautengcommandcommitteditselftocontinuinglandinvasionsinbothcitiesandit"puttheDAonnotice"shoulditsadministrationsfighteffortsbytheEFFtotakeunutilisedland(TheCitizen,14Sep-tember2016).
Prospects for 2019The2016municipalelectionshaveconsoli-datedtheEFF'splace,asaninfluentialpoliticalactor,inthecurrentperiodoftransitioninSouthAfrica.WiththedeeplyfactionalisedcontestationintheANC,thechangingcom-plexionoftheDA,crisisinpublicadministrationandpooreconomicperformance,theEFFhasemergedasapartythatspeakstopopularconcernsanddesires.Itsmessageofnational-isation,expropriationandAfricanisationres-onateswithasignificantproportionofthepopulation.Theextenttowhichitbuildsonthegainsitmadeinthiselectionwilldeter-mineitsfutureprospects,especiallyinthecoming2019election.Threemainchallengesareworthhighlighting.
Party Organisation and Discipline
Developingasustainablepartystructurethatnotonlymobilisespeopletoattendrallies,butalsoorganisesthemintore-cruitment,fundraising,researchandpolicyunits iscriticalfortheEFF's longevity.TogetherwiththeDA, theEFFhasthepotentialtopushtheANC'selectoralsupportbelow50percentin2019,butthiswillonlybepossiblethroughsustainedpartyorganising. Signsof discontentwithinthepartyemergedafter themunicipalelections,withnewlyelectedcouncillorsrefusingtogive50percentoftheirsalariestothepartyleadershipfortheirfirstthreemonthsinoffice(TheCitizen,5September2016). This is a requirement to be arepresentative for theparty,meant topayoffaloanthepartysecuredtocontestthelocalelections.Malemawasquotedassaying"ThepartylevyisgoingtohelpEFFnottobecapturedbyprivatedonors"(IOL,5September2016).
ThepartyleadershipalsopledgedtoremovePRcouncillorsinwardswherethepartyreceivedlessthan100votesandreplacethemwithcandidatesfromwardswheretheEFFreceivedthemostvotes.Malemaarguedthatthesecouncillorshadnotfulfilledtheirdutytowinvotesforthepartyandtheywouldbeforced"tobecomecommunityactivists"(TimesLive,5September2016).ThereasonforthiswastoavoidbecomingliketheANCand"hoardingalargegroupofcareerists".AccordingtoMalema,"theprincipleofrewardingprogressandrejectingmediocritywill,henceforth,underpintheEFF'slistprocesses,includinginthelead-uptothe2019generalelection".(TimesLive,6September2016).
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Thesekindsof top-downdecisionsriskalienatingtheparty leadershipfromitssupportbase.Thisis,especially,thecasein areas where its grassroots supportcomes from existing local activism.AsPhadi,PearsonandLesaffre(2016)state,somepartyactivistsinLimpopo"fearthattheANC'sauthoritativedecision-makingstyleisbeingreconfiguredwithintheEFF".AnEFFspokespersonencapsulatedthisconcern:"TheminuteMalemacomeshereandwantstocontrolus,andnotlistentous,that'swhenIwillstarttofighttheEFF.IsupportthepoliciesoftheEFF,notJuliusMalema."Inanotherincident,soonaftertheelections,adisgruntledgroupofEFFactivistsineThekwiniMunicipalitycalledfortheparty'sRegionalCommandTeamtobedisbanded,becauseofallegeddiscrepanciesinthelistofregionalPRcandidatesthatthepartysubmittedtotheIEC(SABC,20August2016).TherewerealsodisputesaboutthecouncillistinSedibengDistrictMunicipality(TheCitizen,16August2016).Asaresult,thepartyhasdisbandedprovincialleadershipsofKwaZulu-NatalandtheEasternCape,forilldisciplineandthemisrepresentationofpartymembership.
Thelegacyoftheparty'soriginsintheANCandthedeepdistrustoftherulingpartyleavetheEFFvulnerable.ItsabilitytodevelopanewpartycultureuniquefromtheANC,aswellasdevelopingafunctionalgrassrootsnetworkof activists,will determine itsfuturesuccess.
Governance Challenges
TheEFF'sdecisionnottojoinanycoalitionsandtoremaininoppositioninallhungmunicipalitiescameasasurprise.Many
anticipatedthatthepartywouldbeeagertotestitsrevolutionaryidealsinpractise.Furthermore,positionsinmunicipalgovern-mentcomewithexcellentsalarypackages,whichwouldbeaboonbothtoindividualcouncillorsandtothepartythatwouldreceiveashare.Bydecidingtostayoutofgovernment,theEFFstayedtruetoitsfundamentalideals,butforfeitedthebenefitsofincumbency.ThisisunusualinAfricanpolitics(andindeed,SouthAfricanpolitics),wherethedesireforpoweroftenoverridesotherstrategicconsiderations.GiventheEFF'sinexperienceinmunicipalgovernanceanditsstridentrhetoric,remaininginop-positionwasthebeststrategicdecisionfortheparty.Muchofmunicipalgovernanceisabouttechnicalservicedeliveryissuessuchassanitation,waterprovisionandroadmaintenancethatdonotlendthemselveseasilytotheEFF'srevolutionaryrhetoric.Thepartydoesnothavemanyofthetechnicalskillsandknow-howrequiredtobeeffectiveatmunicipallevel.Sothedecisiontoavoidthetestofgovernance,atthisstageinitsformation,isshrewd.AsMalema(2016c)statedintheAlexpressconference,"weare not an organisation of positions".Heinsistedthattheprimarygoalwastobuildtheparty,indicatingthattheparty'sleadershipistakingalongviewofitsroleinSouthAfricanpolitics.Moreover,hadtheEFFjoinedtheDAingovernment,itwouldhavedonesoasaminoritypartnerputtingitintheawkwardpositionofappearingtorubber-stampDAmajoritydecisions.Thisgoesagainsttheparty'sidentityasapopularradicalmovement.RemainingintheoppositionallowstheEFFtomaintainitsidentityandretainthebargainingchipofbeingabletocollapseDA-runmunicipalgovernments.
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TheEFFseemstowanttopursueakindof"guerrillagovernance"atmunicipallevelbyoccupyingland,supportingcommunityprotestsandprovidingservices,itself,inthewardsitgoverns.Inhispost-electionpressconference,MalemapromisedthatallthewardswonbytheEFFwouldhavebasicnecessitiessuchaswater,evenifitmeantthepartyhadtodigboreholes,itself,inthecommunitiesitrepresents.InGauteng,theprovincialleadershiphassaidthatitwillcontinue"landinvasions"onunoccupiedland,regardlessofhavingsupportedtheDAtotakepowerinJohannesburgandTshwane.TheEFFdisruptedthecommencementofHermanMashaba's inaugural speech as mayor,becauseitwantedthehousetoacknowledgethegrievancesofDAactivistswhohad,apparently,notbeenpaidbytheparty.EFFcouncillorsclaimedtobestandingfortheworkers'rightsbysupportingtheprotest(EyewitnessNews,13September2016).
Whethertheseactionswillattractandcon-solidatesupportfortheEFFremainstobeseen.TheattendanceofEFFMPsatpolicycommitteemeetingsinthenationalparliament,since2014,hasbeenrelativelypoor–34percent,in2015,comparedtotheANCandDA's73percent.Thesecommitteesarewheretherealworkofparliamentisdone–writinglawsandholdingtheexecutiveaccountable.On19September2016,thepartyannouncedthatJuliusMalemahadbeenrelievedofallhisparliamentarycommitteedutiestoenablehimtofocusondevelopingtheparty'sstructuresbeforethe2019generalelections.EFFspokesmanFanaMokoenasaid,"MrMalemawillmainlybedeployedonastringentprogrammetobuildtheEFFeverywhereinthecountry.Thesecretarygeneral,GodrichGardee,willnotbeinparliamentthatoften
either,becausehehastobemainlyoffice-boundinanorganisationalcapacity".(TimesLive,19September2016).MalemahassaidthatthepartywantstogrowitssupportinKwaZulu-NatalandtheEasternCapewherepartystructureswereestablishedquicklyandarerelativelyweak:"Weareconcerned,becauseifwedon'tgettheEasternCapeandKwaZulu-Natalright,wecanforgetaboutgrowingtheEFF'sinfluenceinthecountry"(MalemaquotedinTimesLive,6September2016).Thisfocusonbuildingasustainablepartystructuremaymitigatetheneedtoproveitselfinformalinstitutionalpolitics.
Youth Vote
SouthAfrica'spopulationandelectoratearebecomingyounger.Peopleaged15to29makeup28.19percentofthenationalpopulation;55percentofeligiblevotersaged20to29areregistered.Alookattheturnoutstatisticsofthe2011and2014elections,demonstratesthatyoungpeopleturnoutathigherratesinnationalelectionsthaninmunicipalones.
AgeAge Group (in years) % Turnout
Turnout18-19 69%
20-29 48%
30-39 49%
40-49
60-69
70-79
80+
61%
50-59 70%
70%
74%
52%
Source: Electoral Commission of South Africa Municipal Elections Report 2011:47
TABLE 4: 2011 turnout by age
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In2011,48percentofvotersaged20to29turnedouttovotecomparedto75per-centofwomenand69percentofmenin2014.Thisdiscrepancycanbeexplainedbythedifferenceinvotingrulesindifferentelections.Atmunicipalelections,peoplearerequiredtovoteinthewardsinwhichtheyareregistered.Ingeneralelections,peoplecanvoteatanyvotingstationinthecountry–onbothnationalandprovincialballotsiftheyvoteintheprovinceinwhichtheyareregistered,andonlyonthenationalballotiftheyvoteoutsidetheirprovince.Municipalelectionrules,thus,discriminateagainsttransitorypopulationsofmigrantworkersorstudentswhooftenresidefarfromwheretheyareregisteredandlackthetime,motivationorknowledgetoupdatetheirregistrationbeforeelections.Whatisclearisthatyoungpeopledoturnouttovotewhentheyareregisteredandareallowedtodosobytherules.
ThisbodeswellfortheEFFin2019.Aswasdiscussedintheprevioussection,theparty'smessageresonateswithyoungpeopleandmuchofitssupportisininformalsettlementswithlargemigrantpopulations.Itwillbeeasierforitsnaturalsupportbasetopar-ticipateinthe2019generalelections,whichshouldboosttheparty'sshareofthevote.ThechallengefortheEFFistoencouragethe45percentofeligiblevotersunder30,whoarenotonthevoters'roll,toregistertovote.Youngpeopledoparticipatepolitically,throughinformalmeanssuchasprotests.IftheEFFcanconvincethemtoparticipateinformalpoliticalstructures,suchaselections,itwillhavesucceededinsecuringitselfasustainableelectoralbase.
ConclusionSinceitburstontotheelectoralscene,theEFFhasprovedtobeanexcellentdisrupterofSouthAfricanpolitics.Usingitsuniquebrandofpoliticalspectacle,thepartyhassucceededinsettingthepoliticalagendaandsparkingpopularinterestinpoliticalinstitutions.UnliketheANC-breakawaypartythatprecededit,theCongressofthePeople(COPE),theEFFmanagedtosustaintheelectoralpromiseofitsdebutelections,in2014,inthechallengingterrainoflocalgovernmentelectionsin2016.OneofthereasonsitmanagedtodothiswasbyavoidingthekindofleadershipdisputesthatcausedCOPE'simplosion.ThechallengetheEFFfacesnowistoexpanditssupportbasewhilemanagingcompetinginterestsandprovingitselfasaseriouscontenderforgovernmentin2019.
AgeAge Group (in years) % Turnout
Turnout18-19 83%
20-29 72%
30-39 69%
40-49
60-69
70-79
80+
74%
50-59 80%
73%
80%
55%
Source: Electoral Commission of South Africa National and Provincial Report 2014:44
TABLE 5: 2014 turnout by age
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Sithembile Mbete is attached to the University of Pretoria's Department of Political Science where she teaches international relations and South African politics. Her research interests include, among others, elections and political parties. Prior to joining the University of Pretoria, Mbete worked as a political researcher at the Institute for Democracy in Africa (IDASA) and the secretariat of the National Planning Commission (NPC). She is a political analyst and was part of the SABC team of analysts who analysed the 2016 local government elections. ([email protected])