The African National Congress was left licking its wounds after surrendering control of the city of Cape Town when Democratic Alliance mayoral candidate Helen Zille won a closely fought election on Wednesday.
”What went wrong … we need to sit down and analyse what went wrong. I’ve got my own views, but I’ve got a collective to share with,” ANC provincial chairperson James Ngculu said shortly after the final tally was taken of a secret ballot in the council’s first meeting.
In a shoot-out between only two mayoral candidates nominated, Zille defeated former mayor Nomaindia Mfeketo by 106 votes to 103.
”It’s more important in this situation to take a collective view so that when we interpret events, we interpret them collectively,” said Ngculu.
Pauline Cupido, the African Christian Democratic Party’s mayoral candidate, said justice was prevailing.
”Sixty-two percent of the voters voted in favour of opposition parties and we are actually fulfilling the wishes of the voters,” she said.
Cupido, whose party was instrumental in galvanising the support of smaller parties — such as the African Muslim Party and the Universal Party — to support Zille, said she hopes the new mayor will mend the divisions of the city.
”And I trust that the poor people will be attended to, that the housing problems will be resolved, that appointments and corruption that were so much spoken about in Cape Town, that these matters will immediately be attended to.”
Cupido said she has ”serious concerns” about the operation of the Independent Democrats, which many observers had touted as potential king-makers in the metropole.
The ID voted with the ANC throughout the day’s proceedings, in which the tension was almost palpable.
The DA has 90 seats in the 210-member council, the ANC 81 and the ID 23. The remaining seats are held by the ACDP and smaller parties.
”Today they [the ID] have actually shown they are not an independent party as they have claimed over the last few days, and I can now positively say that the ID cannot be trusted because they do no keep their promises to the voters,” said Cupido.
The ID’s leader, Patricia de Lille, had maintained, up until the last minute, that her party had not concluded a deal with either the ANC or DA.
And, rubbing salt into the ID’s wounds, councillors voted in favour of the ACDP’s Andrew Arnolds for deputy mayor, instead of the ID’s Simon Grindrod.
Arnolds won by 105 votes to 104 in the ballot, while the Freedom Front’s Dirk Smit was elected to the position of speaker.
At a post-election media briefing, Zille, flanked by Cupido, said the DA will never forget that its primary allegiance is to the people of Cape Town, and the new leadership will service the needs of everyone, irrespective of which political party they support.
”In line with our commitment and agreement we will put together a multiparty executive,” she said, adding that smaller parties will have a say in the administration of the city ”in some way”.
Zille struck a conciliatory note with the ID. ”We believe it will be in the interests of democracy and serve all of our people … and the ID is a part of that, an important part of that, and we don’t close the door on them.”
Zille said Wednesday’s vote was an important moment in the unfolding of South Africa’s democracy, because it showed the world that power could change hands peacefully through the ballot box.
She said it also showed the people of South Africa that if the government is not serving their needs or fulfilling its promises, they have the power to change their minds.
Bantu Holomisa, leader of the United Democratic Front, said the party is glad to be part of a solution.
”We are proud of, and salute, the conduct of the forum of smaller parties, who during these negotiations were more concerned with the interests of the voters and good governance than some others who were bickering about positions,” Holomisa said in a statement. — Sapa