Everyone Is Talking About EFF’s Decline, But Another Party Has Dropped From 14.6% to 9.6%

South Africa’s 2026 Local Government Elections have triggered fresh political debate after attention turned to the changing electoral fortunes of several major political parties, with questions emerging about why some parties are receiving more scrutiny than others.

A political commentary circulating following the announcement of the election results has questioned the attention given to the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), arguing that other political organisations have also experienced significant declines in voter support.

The discussion particularly draws attention to the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, whose national support stood at approximately 14.6% during the 2024 National and Provincial Elections before recording 9.61% in the 2026 Local Government Elections.

The comparison has prompted questions about the party’s performance and whether its latest electoral outcome deserves greater attention in political discussions.

However, the two elections were conducted at different levels of government, meaning their results should be interpreted with that distinction in mind.

The EFF has also experienced a notable decline. In the 2021 Local Government Elections, the party secured approximately 10.3% of the national vote. Its support dropped to 6.25% in the 2026 municipal elections, representing a significant loss of electoral ground.

Meanwhile, the African National Congress (ANC) has faced an even more substantial setback when comparing the two local government elections.

The governing party received approximately 40.18% of the vote in 2021, but its support fell to 30.89% in the latest municipal elections.

The results represent a major challenge for the ANC, which has traditionally dominated South African politics since the country’s first democratic elections in 1994.

The Democratic Alliance (DA), meanwhile, secured 24.60% of the national vote, placing it second behind the ANC. ActionSA received 5.68%, while the EFF finished with 6.25%.

The latest figures highlight how significantly South Africa’s political landscape is changing, with voters increasingly distributing their support among different political organisations.

The MK Party’s performance also remains an important part of the discussion, particularly because it emerged as a major political force during the 2024 elections under former president Jacob Zuma.

As coalition negotiations continue, the electoral results will influence how political parties approach future partnerships and municipal leadership arrangements.

Ultimately, the debate raises an important question about political accountability: should parties be judged by their previous electoral achievements, or should the same level of scrutiny apply whenever their support declines?

For South African voters, the focus remains on whether political leaders can translate their electoral support into effective governance and improved service delivery.

https://x.com/ApostleDeza/status/2119121272806453510?a=otwsP17a8aJMQCvyfDE&s=19

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