Cape Town - New Cape Town executive mayor Dan Plato took over the reins of the City after receiving 146 of the 208 votes cast at council on Tuesday.
ANC caucus leader Xolani Sotashe legged behind with 53 votes and Grand Haskin of the ACDP received 3 votes, 6 ballots were spoilt.
Plato’s election came after protest from opposition parties who contended that the results were preempted when the DA announced last week already that Plato would be the new mayor.
Council Speaker, Dirk Smit, said the announcement was informed by “common sense” as the DA was in the majority in the council.
After a confusion about whether there were 208 or 216 councillors in the chambers, Plato was duly elected through a secret ballot.
In his speech, adorning the mayoral chain for the second time, Plato acknowledged the previous mayor Patricia de Lille, who along eight other DA councillors resigned from the party last week. He was mayor before between 2009 and 2011.
Plato said his administration would focus on economic growth, job creation and on making communities safer.
He slammed the national government for delaying deploying police officers to the province saying the city would increase the number of metro police to ensure the safety of citizens.
Plato said he and Premier Helen Zille had been calling for the return of specialised units in the police such as the anti-gang unit, since 2012.
He said he would make sure the unit, which was launched on Friday, remains in the province permanently and he would be the first person to call for its return if it was to be disbanded.
However, responding to Plato’s speech, opposition parties were not welcoming of the new mayor.
EFF councillor Melikhaya Xego questioned Plato’s ability to implement any of the plans on his speech. “You could not keep people safe when you were MEC (of community safety) how will you do it as mayor?” Xego asked.
Haskin criticised the DA for letting their infighting and party politics to get in the way of service delivery. He warned Plato against shifting problems to the national government, especially pressing issues such as housing and crime.
Sotashe said: “The ANC rejects Dan Plato”. He said Plato had the worst record on safety and that a combination of Plato and JP Smith on safety was worrying.