Johannesburg – EFF leader Julius Malema has urged voters to punish the ANC and DA in upcoming local government elections for service delivery failures like water shortages in Midrand under their coalitions, promising EFF governance would fix this.
The party resolved to field its own mayoral candidates nationwide to lead municipalities outright.
“We say to the people of Midrand that the people who are governing there are the ANC and the DA, and they must both collectively be punished in the next local government elections.
JULIUS MALEMA
I know that we are part of coalition government in the City of JHB
There is a water crisis in Midrand and other failures.
We are not gonna take any blame for such.
We want credit for good work only.
Blame the DA & ANC for that.
They have their own government… pic.twitter.com/5jvA7G4qGq
— Constitution First 🇿🇦 (@Constitution_94) February 4, 2026
“Under the EFF, government will provide water everywhere, especially in areas like Midrand,” said Malema.
Malema, who was speaking during a media briefing on Wednesday at the party’s Johannesburg headquarter also highlighted ANC divisions over including the DA in Gauteng’s coalition: secretary-general Fikile Mbalula pushes for it despite resistance from Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s faction, amid disputes over DA MEC positions.
“Mbalula does not care, he wants the Gauteng government to collapse so that he can once more say I told you to bring these people into the fold…you were supposed to bring the DA,” Malema claimed.
MALEMA: The Government has no got capacity to deliver the basic service of Water to the suburbs of Midrand. We say to the People of Midrand, the people who are Governing there in Midrand is the ANC and the DA, and they must both collectively be PUNISHED in the next Local…
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) February 4, 2026
He accused national ANC leaders of sabotaging Gauteng’s structure via a Provincial Task Team to force DA inclusion and prove their point.
The EFF, feeling undermined in Gauteng coalitions, will withhold budget votes due to national tensions and plans to end propping up the ANC minority government, prioritizing people over unproven contract benefits.
Malema reiterated lost confidence in the IEC’s impartiality ahead of polls.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
