By Helen Zille
Yesterday was surreal, and it looks set to continue today. Our celebrations should be sincere, but muted. We had worked so hard to be as ready as we could be — and to stand the best chance of winning — but we did not expect this.
Where we find ourselves running minority governments, it will be devilishly difficult.
We must consolidate, unite our teams, ensure the most competent managers are in place, have our long term plans, and then make progress one day at a time.
Without stable majority coalitions (in many places) every Council meeting could be a nightmare, where we battle to pass budgets, Bills and take decisions in order to do the work required.
We will inherit officials steeped in ANC culture, who control the administration, and are answerable elsewhere. We will face a raft of tenderpreneurs, fighting hard to stay on the gravy train. In many places we will be undermined by a hostile province under a different administration.
Of course we must, and will, do our utmost to serve the residents. But very few people appreciate quite how difficult government is — let alone running a minority government that can be removed from meeting to meeting.
We would like to thank all those who voted for us, and give them the assurance that we will do our utmost do make the best of a very complex and challenging situation.
