Geordin Hill-Lewis was officially sworn in as the youngest executive mayor of the City of Cape Town during the first council meeting on Thursday.

Hill-Lewis managed to secure the most votes in the council after he was nominated for mayor, with other political parties nominating their own candidates for the job as well, including the African National Congress's Noluthando Makasi and Jack Miller from the Cape Independence Party.

Miller received two votes, Makasi received 46, and Hill-Lewis received 141. There were 15 spoilt ballots, and 20 abstentions.

The Democratic Alliance's (DA's) top brass, federal chairperson Helen Zille, DA leader John Steenhuisen, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde and provincial leader Albert Fritz attended the inauguration.

Plumstead ward councillor Eddie Andrews, was elected as the deputy mayor. He secured 138 votes. Felicity Purchase was re-elected as council speaker.

With the mayoral chain around his neck, Hill-Lewis said their journey should start with the recognition that more and more South Africans are feeling hopeless about the future. 

"To the voters of Cape Town and indeed of the whole country who have lost hope and stayed home on Election Day, I want to say that we have heard your message loud and clear. Ons het julle gehoor (we heard you). More of the same won't cut it. Words are no longer enough. It is time for fresh thinking," he said.

At the age of 34, Hill-Lewis is the youngest mayor of Cape Town. His predecessor, Dan Plato, was not present at the council meeting on Thursday.

He thanked Plato, who took over as mayor after Patricia de Lille's acrimonious departure from the DA.  

"I wish to honour my predecessor, Mayor Dan Plato, who laid the foundation that we will build on over the coming five years. Ek sê vir jou baie dankie, Dan (I say thank you very much, Dan)."

He had a stern warning for his mayoral committee - that they would be required to undergo lifestyle audits.

"Good governance is a profoundly moral commitment, and that is why it will be non-negotiable under this administration. It is also out of this commitment that I can today announce that every member appointed to my mayoral committee will undergo a lifestyle audit upon assuming office. After spending more than a decade in Parliament, I know full well that sunlight is the best disinfectant," he said.

Other key areas the newly elected mayor zoomed in on were releasing public land for housing, taking over the rail network, and releasing the city from Eskom's shackles.

Hill-Lewis also announced increased allocation for free basic services.

"We recognise that some of our citizens need more help today. Those whose efforts to seek new opportunity are frustrated by the brutal intersection of poverty and financial obligations.

"It is with these residents in mind that I am today proud to announce that the first major commitment of this administration is to increase our allocation to free basic services by over R600-million in the next financial year."

He said it constituted a 20% increase in the City's investment in free basic services, which vulnerable residents rely on the most.

The injection will increase the amount the City spends on free basic services from R3.1-billion to R3.7-billion.

The new mayor said economic recovery from the Covid-19 crisis would require double the effort to expand and maintain the infrastructure of the city and ensure excellent services are delivered to all citizens and businesses.