DA welcomes the election of new Cape Town Mayor, Dan Plato

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has welcomed the election of Dan Plato as the new Mayor of the city of Cape Town.

Plato replaced Patricia De Lille who stepped down from the position and left the party last week.

The new mayor of the city reportedly received 146 votes out of 208, with six ballots that were spoilt.

The opposition parties in the council, the African National Congress (ANC) and the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) had put forward Xolani Sotashe and Grant Haskin as mayoral candidates respectively.

Sotashe reportedly received 53 votes while Haskin received 3.

The DA’s Western Cape leader Bonginkosi Madikizela, who was reportedly in the public gallery during the special council sitting that elected Plato today, said in a statement on Tuesday that throughout the career of the city’s new mayor, Plato has always proven his commitment to service delivery and keeping the streets of Cape Town safe.

“The will of the people has now been reaffirmed by this vote and we will continue to deliver against our commitment that we made in 2016,” Madikizela said.

He added that Plato has always been above petty politics and “will bring much-needed stability, unity, and mature leadership to the city which has been lacking over the past number of months”.

“The DA trusts that mayor Plato will once again restore the people’s faith and confidence in the governance systems of the City of Cape Town.

“Mayor Plato has been given a mandate by the party to speed up and restore the highest level of service delivery and putting the people of Cape Town first. We believe that he will, not only, prove himself worthy of this task but that he will excel.”

He said Plato has also pledged his commitment to lead the fight against the scourge of violent crime and gangsterism in the city – “a cause which has always been close to the Mayor’s heart but also central to the DA’s offer”.

“In addition, mayor Plato will now accelerate projects which will transform the city and ensure that our city is more integrated.

“The mayor has not only expressed his commitment to the administrative aspect of the job, but he has also maintained his passion to engage with Capetonians from all walks of life.”

He added that the DA congratulate Plato on his election.

(Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu)

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