Simon Nare
The Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema will this afternoon bring the curtain down on the party’s election campaign of the local government elections at the Tshela Thupa Rally at the Orlando Amstel Arena in Soweto, where he will deliver the red berets’ service delivery manifesto.
The official program is scheduled to kick off at noon, and the home of the Soweto giants Orlando Pirates’ 40 000 capacity is expected to be a sea of red as supporters will be descending to the arena in a show of force.
The party has labelled it The Mother of All Rallies as it gears itself to win voters after securing 10.32% national popular vote behind the ANC and DA in the 2021 local government local elections, as it solidified its position as the third-largest party before the uMkhonto we Sizwe entered the fray.
In the November 1, 2021 polls, the EFF accumulated 2 419 950 votes across ward and proportional representation ballots, securing 982 council seats in municipal councils nationwide, but the emergence of MKP has seen the party taking a knock at the national and provincial polls in 2024.
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Pre-election polls predict the EFF maintaining stable baseline support at about 10%, aligning it closely with its 2021 performance, indicating its steady retention but struggling to break new ground.
By 10 am, hundreds of party supporters in party regalia were already streaming to the stadium.
“We are turning Orlando Stadium red today! Our people are arriving in their numbers to attend the Mother of All Rallies, the Tshela Thupa Rally, as the EFF brings its campaign trail to a powerful close!” the party said on its X account.
“The young and old are pouring into Orlando Stadium for the Tshela Thupa Rally taking place this afternoon! Our people are eager to hear from the Commander-in-Chief, CIC Julius Malema, as he delivers the final line of march and closes the EFF’s campaign trail!”, said another post.
Earlier this year, the party had shaken things up in the leadership positions of four of its provincial command teams, describing the changes as a tactical move to sharpen its leadership capacity ahead of the elections.
The party explained that the changes were made according to Section 14 of its constitution and were a direct outcome of the resolutions of the Central Command Team meeting this week.
This flowed from resolutions adopted at its 3rd National People’s Assembly in Johannesburg in December 2024.
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“The EFF remains steady in its revolutionary mission: to build a mass-based, militant and disciplined organisation that is firmly rooted in the struggles of the working class and the poor, and that will deliver true economic freedom in our lifetime,” the party said in a statement on Friday.
