The Congress of SA Trade Unions and the SA Communist Party on Thursday hailed their alliance partner, the ANC, over its recent by-election victories.Cosatu predicted that the Congress of the People (Cope) would face "an even bigger humiliation" in the upcoming national election while the SACP said the fledgling party had "learned a painful lesson".
This followed the ANC winning all but four wards in Wednesday's by-elections, contested in the Eastern Cape, the Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and the North West.
Victory was snatched from the ruling party by one percent in KwaZulu-Natal where the IFP won all four wards under contestation.
The Eastern and Northern Cape, provinces in which Cope charged it had made progress in luring voters from the ANC, were both retained by the ruling party.
"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," said Cosatu in a statement.
"These results give a huge boost to the ANC election campaign and we are clearly on the road to another record election success."
The SACP said the outcome indicated the "overwhelming confidence" South Africans had in the ANC-led alliance.
The breakaway party who had "mistakenly rode on the wave of this popularity" have had to learn a "painful lesson", it said.
"This is the same lesson that the Dandala-led team will learn on April 22 when South Africans will return the ANC into power with an overwhelming majority, as it is happening now during the by elections."
Adding that Cope had "run out of steam", the SACP and Cosatu congratulated the ANC on its victory.
Source : Sapa /nm/ks
Date : 05 Mar 2009 16:40
