Madam Deputy Speaker, the ANC welcomes the outcome of the by-elections held on 6 October 2010 in all four provinces. The ANC emerged with an overwhelming victory.
We are particularly pleased with the inroads we have made in the Western Cape where we took over two wards in Oudtshoorn ... [Applause.] ... which formerly belonged to the ID. This by-election being the first to be contested by the DA-ID coalition in the ward demonstrates the peoples' vote of no confidence in the Zille-De Lille marriage of convenience. The outcome, ahead of next year's local government polls, further points to the strengthening of the ANC support base in the Western Cape and is a strong showing that the organisation is on the verge of reversing past losses. [Interjections.]
Out of a total of 18 by-elections - 12 in the Eastern Cape, three in the Free State, one in KwaZulu-Natal and two in the Western Cape - the ANC won 17 wards. In the Eastern Cape, the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal, the ANC retained all 15 of the wards it won in 2006, except one lost to an independent candidate in the Eastern Cape.
Viva, ANC! Viva! Together we can do more. [Applause.]