The EFF has launched 3900 branches across the country and will be contesting all 278 municipalities in August's local government elections. The polls will be the first local government election contested by the EFF.Leader Julius Malema said yesterday EFF councillor candidates had to be grounded in their communities and be members in good standing .The EFF is aiming to double its support in the upcoming polls. It obtained 6% of the vote in the 2014 national election.Malema said branches selected the councillor candidates and this could not be tampered with unless the candidate had a criminal record.South Africa has a mixed, or hybrid, electoral system, albeit only at local government level, making use of both the ward and proportional representation systems.Proportional representation candidates are selected by branches and then scrutinised by regional leaders and placed in order of importance.Malema said his campaign trail over the past fortnight had been a "tough contest" that had already led to an EFF member being shot in clashes with ANC supporters in Mpumalanga.The party was also pelted with stones in KwaZulu-Natal last week."Political parties must be allowed to campaign freely . the maturity of democracy means the ability to tolerate one another and campaign freely," Malema said.The EFF has written to the IEC to complain about incidents of intimidation and violence in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga...