Making multi-party democracy succeed in Cape Town would be a huge challenge, newly-elected mayor Helen Zille said in her acceptance speech on Wednesday.
"Our great challenge in Cape Town is to ensure that our diversity is not a weakness but what we claim it to be, our greatest strength," she told her fellow-councillors. "We can make it work."
Speaking in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa, she said the people of Cape Town had chosen a diverse group of parties to lead them. Some would be in government, others in opposition.
"Each role is crucially important," she said.
Multi-party democracy could not succeed if people followed their own one-sided political agendas.
She called on all parties to work together for the good of "this great city" and all its people.
Zille garnered 106 votes compared to ANC candidate Nomaindia Mfeketo's 103. - Sapa