The Congress of South African Trade Unions congratulates its Alliance partner, the African National Congress, on its stunning victories in the by-elections in the Eastern Cape and North West. The ANC won all of the wards being contested and captured a massive 83% of the vote in the Port Elizabeth wards.

COSATU echoes the comment of ANC provincial electoral co-ordinator, Sicelo Gqobana, who said that "We have dealt a massive blow to the opposition. COPE was not an issue in the Eastern Cape. It was a dream to think that they could unseat the ANC".

The Eastern Cape was the province in which the COPE dissidents had hoped to do best. If this is the best they can do in their ‘best' province, they will face an even bigger humiliation across the country on 22 April. These results give be a huge boost to the ANC election campaign and we are clearly on the road to another record election success.

Statement issued by COSATU March 5 2009

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