By Anél Powell
With just three votes, the Democratic Alliance has regained control of Cape Town from the African National Congress, with the top three council positions going to an unlikely tripartite of the DA, Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party.
DA mayoral candidate Helen Zille narrowly beat former ANC executive mayor Nomaindia Mfeketo, taking 106 votes to Mfeketo's 103 in the nail-biting conclusion to what has been described as a "bruising" battle for the metro.
But it's a precarious win for the DA, which will need the Independent Democrats' buy-in if it wants keep the smaller parties from backing the ANC in a motion of no-confidence in Zille.
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| 'I am deeply honoured to stand before you as mayor of Cape Town' |
The DA has 90 seats, the ANC 81 and the ID 23 in the 210-seat council.
All eyes were on the ID which, despite an 11th-hour assurance from party leader Patricia de Lille that no deals had been made, sided from the start of Wednesday's meeting with the ANC.
Jacob Derek Smit, of the FF+, who was nominated by the Universal Party, was named the speaker with 105 votes.
The ANC's Gavin Paulse received 104 votes. With the PAC abstaining, it was clear that the ID had backed the ANC, while the smaller parties and DA had sided with the FF+.
The defeat caught the ANC off-guard and a 20-minute caucus was requested. But not even a second consecutive caucus, requested by the ANC and ID, could clinch the deal that would give the ANC enough votes to secure the mayoral seat.
| 'I am happy to listen to what she's saying' |
In a secret ballot, the smaller parties gave their vote to the DA, leaving the ANC with three votes too few.
A euphoric Zille said: "I am deeply honoured to stand before you as mayor of Cape Town. I take my baton from someone whom I worked with closely in the 1980s before our political paths diverged."
Switching among English, Xhosa and Afrikaans, Zille said poverty alleviation would be her core focus. "The need for unity is especially clear when we address our greatest problem: poverty. The needs of the poor."
Corruption and nepotism were "unacceptable" and would be dealt with swiftly, Zille said.
Mfeketo accepted her defeat graciously, saying of Zille: "I am happy to listen to what she's saying about the common destiny of Cape Town."
Andrew Arnolds of the ACDP narrowly beat ID candidate Simon Grindrod to the deputy mayor's seat. Arnolds won 105 votes and Grindrod 104. There was one spoilt vote.
In his acceptance speech, Arnolds said: "It is a time for change. We are going to have a government that is fair, stable, clean and effective."
Exercising her new power as executive mayor, Zille asked that the selection of the executive mayoral committee be held over until the next council meeting on March 29.
Anthea Serritslev of the DA was elected chief whip.
Flanked by ACDP mayoral candidate and provincial leader Pauline Cupido, the new mayor said she had thought the DA had lost the city.
"As the minutes ticked by, I thought our chances were rapidly disappearing. When the ANC lost (the speaker's position), they put pressure on the smaller parties. I thought it was lost when the ANC wanted to caucus."
Zille praised the smaller parties for "standing firm" and supporting the DA.
"There is an agreement that the smaller parties will have a say in a multiparty executive. And I urge the ID to join us."
Zille said 62 percent of voters wanted an opposition and the DA would "not close the door" on the ID as an opposition party.
Cupido acknowledged that the deal to back the DA, with the Africa Muslim Party, United Independent Front, UDM, FF+ and Universal Party, had been sealed on Tuesday. "We opened the day to the ID, but it refused."
Cupido said the ACDP had gone with the DA "because it was impossible for us to support Mfeketo as mayor".
Zille said executive mayoral committee meetings would be transparent and open to councillors and the media.
Of possible staff restructuring, she said "people will be judged on performance".
Asked about the future of controversial city manager Wallace Mgoqi, Zille said his active election campaigning for the ANC had raised doubts about his performance.
At the ID's post-election conference, De Lille said: "The reason we supported the ANC on the mayoral vote was based on our (shared) anti-racism and pro-poor principles."
De Lille recently told the Financial Mail she would "under no circumstances" support Mfeketo for mayor.
Grindrod said: "An isolated vote to constitute a council is not a coalition vote."
"The ID had to pick a party to avoid delaying proceedings. We found ourselves closer to the ANC on this occasion."
De Lille said the decision to back the ANC was "not taken lightly".
"After today the ID will examine any issue on the table to see if it is beneficial and that is how we will use our vote."
The ANC issued a statement of congratulations to Zille.
"The ANC is committed to playing a constructive role in bringing about meaningful change in the lives of the people of Cape Town."
- This article was originally published on page 1 of Cape Times on March 16, 2006
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