EFF and MK Party set to be big players

A RECENT survey conducted in South Africa’s three major metros has indicated that the EFF and Jacob Zuma-endorsed uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) will be big players in the upcoming May 29 elections.

The survey, conducted by African Innovation Research South Africa (AIRSA) in Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town found that both the ruling ANC and official opposition the DA were facing a considerable threat from the EFF and MKP, particularly among younger voters and those in KwaZulu-Natal.

A total of 1 030 participants were surveyed, representing a cross-section of the South African population in these metros.

The survey was conducted faceto-face and only in the above three metros and might not be an indication of the overall national voting sentiment.

Independent Media and IOL commissioned AIRSA to conduct a countrywide survey in each province.

The survey’s findings revealed that Julius Malema’s EFF emerged as the leading choice among the participants, with approximately 20% of the participants indicating they would vote EFF. This was closely followed by the ANC with about 18.4% of respondents indicating they would be voting for the ruling party, while 17% of participants indicated they would vote MKP.

The DA polled at roughly 13.3% of participants.

The survey also delved deeper into the reasons behind these preferences, linking them to various socio-economic factors.

For instance, supporters of the EFF and MKP were predominantly younger and from lower-income brackets.

This reflected the parties’ appeal among those who are disillusioned with the status quo and seeking radical economic changes.

According to Ongama Mtimka, a lecturer and political analyst at the department of history and political studies at Nelson Mandela University, the EFF was led by young people and was a very active party.

This led the youth to gravitate towards it.