Floyd Shivambu Throws Shade at the Ailing EFF, South Africans Question His Focus on His Former Party
- Afrika Mayibuye Movement leader Floyd Shivambu addressed the media at the IEC's Results Operations Centre in Midrand
- Shivambu shared his thoughts on the Economic Freedom Fighters ' performance in the 2026 local government election
- Shivambu took aim at the EFF's campaign approach while defending his own party's spread-across-South Africa electoral strategy
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Source: Getty Images
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has spent a decade reporting on South Africa's political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online journalism.
GAUTENG — Afrika Mayibuye Movement leader Floyd Shivambu delivered a pointed critique of the Economic Freedom Fighters' electoral performance, as provisional results from the 2025 local government elections showed the party haemorrhaging support across the country.
Speaking to the media at the Gallagher Convention Centre on 6 November 2026, Shivambu questioned the EFF's campaign strategy directly.
"The EFF had a budget, multiple music festivals, but it couldn't persuade more than 7% of voters despite being in government," he told reporters.
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EFF's national support collapses to 6.2%
By 12:52 pm on Friday, 6 November 2026, provisional ward ballot results captured from 19,506 of South Africa's 23,696 voting districts placed the EFF fourth nationally, behind the African National Congress, Democratic Alliance and uMkhonto weSizwe Party.
The party's support had fallen from approximately 10.3% in 2021 to around 6.2%, according to figures published by election analysis platform ESP. The decline was visible across major metros. In Gauteng, the EFF polled at roughly 6.7%, compared with 11.89% in 2021.
In KwaZulu-Natal, the drop was sharper still, with the party recording about 1.8% against 8.64% four years earlier. In the City of Johannesburg, support slipped to approximately 6.9% from 10.69% in 2021. In Ekurhuleni, the provisional figure of around 6.5% represented a steep fall from 13.57% in 2021.
The setback follows the EFF's performance in the 2024 national elections, when the party secured 9.52% of the vote and 39 parliamentary seats, finishing fourth in the National Assembly.
South Africans weigh in on Shivambu's comments
Social media users were quick to question Shivambu's criticism of the EFF, with some noting he was a former member of the party.
@MatiwaneS wrote:
"Haibo, Floyd's Mayibuye exists to be an EFF opposition. I haven't heard them criticising other parties. Why is he behaving as if EFF fired him?"
@col_codza observed:
"He talks about the EFF and goes on to say we are not here to talk about the EFF? Something is wrong somewhere!!"
@LesibaLaBokgomo added:
"He is obsessed with Julius, shem."
@maisataba asked:
"Why is this guy always against the EFF, instead of focusing on his stokvel?"
@col_codza noted:
"He talks about the EFF and goes on to say, 'We are not here to talk about the EFF.' Something is wrong somewhere.
Other stories about Shivambu and the EFF
- Shivambu maintained that leaving the Red Berets had been the best decision he made, saying that the party was a cult.
- Dr Khehlelezi, a sangoma, sensationally claimed that Floyd Shivambu was an EFF spy planted within the MKP.
- Shivambu said that the EFF was the MKP’s ally despite being characterised as enemy number one.
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Source: Briefly News
