Abstract:
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has
transformed the South African political
landscape since it was established in 2013.
In the 2016 municipal election, the EFF won
8.2 percent of the national vote making it
the third biggest party after the ANC and
the Democratic Alliance (DA). It did not take
over any municipalities, but it performed
well enough to be the kingmaker in 13
hung councils, including three metros. This
paper discusses the EFF's electoral campaign
and performance in the 2016 local general
election (LGE). It asks whether the EFF has
transcended the personality politics of its
leader to attract its desired constituency on a
broad scale. Has the party managed to move
beyond a politics of spectacle to develop the
content of its political value proposition?
Given the organisational challenges it faces, what are its prospects of being a serious
contender for national government in 2019?
