Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Treasurer-General Omphile Maotwe has dismissed recent local government election polls projecting the party to finish fourth in several metropolitan municipalities, questioning the credibility of surveys and the funding behind them.
Maotwe was speaking to journalists in Marlboro, Johannesburg, ahead of a meeting of the party’s Central Elections Task Force.
“Who did the polls and who are the funders?” she asked, challenging surveys suggesting that the EFF could struggle to secure stronger support in key metropolitan areas.
She singled out Ipsos as a polling organisation whose projections she believes have accurately reflected the EFF’s electoral performance in recent years.
According to Maotwe, Ipsos’s findings indicate that the party is growing nationally, despite other surveys placing it behind rival parties in several metros.
“They are saying we are growing everywhere,” she said, adding that polling conducted after the latest phase of the party’s election campaign could produce a different picture of its support.
Polls place EFF behind rivals in Johannesburg
Recent published surveys have offered varying estimates of the EFF’s support ahead of the November 4 local government elections.
An eNCA-Markdata survey published on 18 October placed the Democratic Alliance (DA) first in Johannesburg with 35% support, followed by the African National Congress (ANC) at 21.8% and the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party at 12.5%.
The EFF ranked fourth with 11.9%, ahead of ActionSA at 10.3% and the Patriotic Alliance at 3.7%.
An Ipsos metropolitan survey published in September also placed the EFF behind several rival parties in Johannesburg. The ANC recorded 31%, the DA 28%, ActionSA 14%, the EFF 8% and the MK Party 6%.
Nationally, a Social Research Foundation and The Common Sense survey published on 27 October placed the ANC at 32%, the DA at 26%, the MK Party at 12% and the EFF at 8%.
The results highlight the competitive political landscape facing the EFF as it seeks to strengthen its position in metropolitan municipalities.
However, the surveys were conducted at different times, and their findings should not be compared directly without considering their respective methodologies and samples.
While Maotwe questioned the credibility of some polling organisations, her comments did not establish that the published surveys were biased or that their findings had been influenced by their funders.
Maotwe remains confident in EFF’s prospects
Maotwe argued that polling organisations and the sources of their funding should be scrutinised. She maintained that the EFF considered Ipsos’s projections credible, claiming that the organisation had accurately tracked the party’s performance in recent years.
She also suggested that surveys conducted after the latest campaign activities could provide a different assessment of the party’s support.
According to Maotwe, the EFF had performed well during its campaign and remained confident about its prospects across municipalities.
The final election outcome, however, will depend on voters’ choices at the ballot box, rather than polling projections.
EFF prepares for Tshela Thupa rally
The EFF is scheduled to hold its Tshela Thupa rally at Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Saturday as part of its local government election campaign.
The rally is expected to give the party an opportunity to mobilise supporters and reinforce its campaign message ahead of voting day on 4 November.
