I am deeply honoured to stand before you today as the Mayor of Cape Town.
I take the baton from someone with whom I worked closely in the 1980s before our political paths diverged, so that we each could follow what we genuinely believed to be our country's best interest.
I still have a warm and genuine affection for the friend I called Indi, and now respectfully address as Alderman Mfeketo. Through our contest, and a peaceful change of government through the ballot box, we are proving to the world that South Africa is indeed a maturing democracy.
Ek is geëerd dat so baie mense hul vertroue in my gestel het. Geëerd dat my mede-raadslede dié vertroue bevestig het. En geëerd om die pligte van dié edele amp te aanvaar, om hierdie grootse stad, saam met u my kollegas, te kan lei.
Sisonke sihambe indlela ende ukuzotsho apha.
Eli lixesha lokuhamba sisonke siye phambili.
There is no single party that holds a majority in this chamber. The people of Cape Town have chosen a diverse group of parties to lead them, some of which will be in government, others in opposition. Each role is crucially important. We are a diverse city, a rainbow metropolis of many colours, cultures, faiths and languages-and many political beliefs as well.
Our great challenge in Cape Town is to ensure that our diversity is not a weakness, but indeed, to demonstrate that it is what we claim it is - our greatest strength. We can make it work. As they say in a language that does not even come from our continent, but nevertheless recognises a great truth about us: Ex Africa semper aliquid novi: Altyd iets nuuts uit Afrika. (Always something new out of Africa.)
Dit gaan 'n groot uitdaging wees om 'n veelparty-administrasie in Kaapstad te laat slaag. Dit sal goeie gesindhede, die uiterste goeder trou, en ware samewerking van al die betrokke mense en partye verg. Dit kan nie werk as mense hulle eensydige en persoonlike agendas nastreef nie.
Whatever battles we have fought in the past, whatever contests we may still have in the future, we must put them aside and work together in the present, for the good of the city and all our people.
NjengoSodolophu wenu, niyathembisa ukubeka iimfuno zabantu baseKapa ngaphezulu kombutho; Ndizakumamela kuye wonke umntu kwelibhunga phambi kokuba ndenze izigqibo. Ndizakusebenza nabo bonke abantu baseKapa ujufezekisa iminqweno yethu.
Our city faces great challenges that no party can confront on its own, and which the city cannot overcome by itself.
The energy crisis, for example, demands the joint efforts of the city, of Eskom, and of the national and provincial governments.
There are many other examples. But the need for unity is especially clear when we address the problem of poverty in our city.
No-one in this city can rest easily when there are hundreds of thousands of families in Cape Town who suffer without the basic necessities of life. Poverty contributes to crime, disease and environmental degradation.
Worst of all, poverty denies ordinary people their freedom and the chance to improve the lives of themselves and their families.
It is tempting to imagine that there are quick fixes to poverty, such as a massive redistribution of economic resources. But the truth is that there are no short cuts. All of those have been tried, in many different places, and they have all failed miserably.
The only way to defeat poverty is through a combination of economic growth, better education, greater job opportunities for all and hard, hard work. And that means all of us-government and industry, business and unions, rich and poor- we must put in that work together, build real confidence in our shared future, so that we can overcome poverty in our country.
But unity of purpose is not enough. We also need diversity, because without it there is no way to bring forth new ideas, new voices and new leaders.
Policies that have worked in one place may not work in another. Different communities sometimes have different needs and desires. And better plans emerge when we include a variety of perspectives.
Political diversity, in other words, is not an obstacle to a better life. It is, in fact, the only way to guarantee it. Every party in this council has something to add to our efforts.
It is also crucial for the future of our city that we start to move beyond race. We need to see beyond colour, to look at each other as human beings first.
If we, the elected leaders of Cape Town, cannot rise above the labels, the stereotypes, the mistrust and the resentment of the past, then our constituents will remain forever divided, and we as South Africans will fail in our historic mission to build a flourishing democracy in a plural society with a history of deep division. We dare not fail in our quest, because this is in the interest of all of humankind.
Furthermore, there are many different interests and values represented in this new administration. But I believe that it is necessary and possible to establish several broad principles which must guide us in all that we do.
The first principle is that corruption and nepotism are unacceptable and will be dealt with swiftly and severely. We must conduct a full forensic audit of the city's finances and administrative structure as our first order of business. Any case of wrongdoing, whether by the DA or the ANC or the ID or anyone else, must be exposed and punished.
The second principle is that addressing the needs of the poor must be our priority. Our focus in public spending must be to develop services and infrastructure so that we can improve the quality of life and open opportunities for the all the residents of our city. And in empowerment policy, we will assist the deserving many, not a small elite few.
The third principle is that we cannot compromise our city's existing services or amenities. We cannot divert money from firefighting to housing. We cannot grow the economy in Gugulethu by letting the seawall crumble in Sea Point. We must look for win-win solutions, because dragging the city down will do nothing to uplift the poor.
Ndiyakholelwa kwiSixeko saseKapa kuba ndiyakholelwa kubantu balapha, bonke abantu.
(I believe in Cape Town. I believe in this city because I believe in her people, all her people.)
Ek glo ons het die vaardighede, die energie en die inspirasie om te sorg dat Kaapstad nie net Afrika se pragtigste stad bly nie, maar ook sy mees welvarende en vredeliewende stad. As ons werklik in ons uiteenlopendheid kan saamstaan, kan niks ons keer nie.
Ons kom uit verskillende agtergronde. Ons praat verskillende tale. Ons bid verskillend. Maar ons kan oor dié verskille heen reik deur vir mekaar te gaan kuier, mekaar se feeste te gedenk, mekaar se groetwoorde te gebruik.
But for better and sometimes sadly for worse, those differences will always be there.
Our history has left us two legacies, two ways of dealing with differences.
One is negative. It is a legacy of labeling and separating people by race, culture and creed. It is a legacy of helping some and not others to advance in society, not because of their talent but because of the circumstances of their birth. That is the tragic legacy of the Group Areas Act, the coloured labour preference policy, the whites-only beaches and the forced removals.
Yet we also have a positive legacy of dealing with differences. It is a legacy of sharing our traditions, and inventing new customs and languages. It is a legacy of tolerance and respect. It is the legacy of the Tweede Nuwe Jaar, of the Centre for the Book, of St George's Cathedral and of Hanover Street in the heyday of District Six.
We can choose, today, which legacy shall endure. And I trust the men and women in this room to make the right choice.
Because a better future is within our reach.
And as we look forward, let us never forget our families and loved ones who accompany us through the daily challenges we face and brought us to where we are today. And I would like to acknowledge a person who is here today who has become a close friend over many years: Grace Voyiya, the second mother to my children, who has helped to make our home a place of love, and without whom I would not be standing at this podium. Sisi, bendingenakho ukwazi ukuphumelela ngaphandle kwakho.
En aan my geliefde man Johann Maree, en ons twee seuns, Paul en Thomas; Die geloof, en ons liefde vir mekaar is die standvastige steunpilare waarop ek in goeie en slegte tye altyd kan staatmaak. Julle weet hoe dankbaar ek is.
Now to the future. We have much work ahead of us. And there will be many debates to come, many difficulties ahead. But let us face them together with confidence and pride.
Singaphumelela, sisonke, simanyene. Masiqalise ngoku.