Helen Zille

The Honourable
Helen Zille
Chairperson of the Federal Council of the Democratic Alliance
Incumbent
Assumed office
20 October 2019
DeputyAnnelie Lotriet
Thomas Walters
James Masango
Ashor Sarupen
LeaderJohn Steenhuisen
Mmusi Maimane
Preceded byJames Selfe
Federal Leader of the Democratic Alliance
In office
6 May 2007 – 10 May 2015
Preceded byTony Leon
Succeeded byMmusi Maimane
7th Premier of the Western Cape
In office
6 May 2009 – 22 May 2019
Preceded byLynne Brown
Succeeded byAlan Winde
Mayor of Cape Town
In office
15 March 2006 – 30 April 2009
DeputyGrant Haskin
Preceded byNomaindia Mfeketo
Succeeded byGrant Haskin (acting)
Dan Plato
Member of the National Assembly of South Africa
In office
14 April 2004 – 15 March 2006
ConstituencyWestern Cape
Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament
In office
6 May 2009 – 7 May 2019
Director of Communications and Public Relations at the University of Cape Town
In office
15 June 1999 – 13 April 2004
Personal details
Born
Otta Helene Zille

(1951-03-09) 9 March 1951 (age 73)
Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa
Political partyDemocratic Alliance
(2000–present)
Other political
affiliations		Democratic Party
(before 2000)
Spouse
Johann Maree
​
(m. 1982)​
Children2
Residence(s)Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Alma materSt Mary's School, Waverley
University of the Witwatersrand
Occupation
  • Politician
  • legislator
  • activist
ProfessionJournalist

Otta Helene Maree (née Zille /ˈzɪlə/;[1] born 9 March 1951), known as Helen Zille, is a South African politician. She has served as the Chairperson of the Federal Council of the Democratic Alliance since 20 October 2019. From 2009 until 2019, she was the Premier of the Western Cape province for two five-year terms,[2] and a member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament.[3] She served as Federal Leader of the Democratic Alliance from 2007 to 2015 and as Mayor of Cape Town from 2006 to 2009.

Zille is a former journalist and anti-apartheid activist[4][5][6] and was one of the journalists who exposed the cover-up around the death of Black Consciousness leader Steve Biko while working for the Rand Daily Mail in the late 1970s.[7] She also worked with the Black Sash and other pro-democracy groups during the 1980s.[8] In the political arena, Zille has served in all three tiers of government, as the Western Cape's education MEC (1999–2001), as a Member of Parliament (2004–2006), as Mayor of Cape Town (2006–2009), and as Premier of the Western Cape (2009–2019).

Zille was selected as World Mayor of the Year in 2008.[9][10] She was also chosen as Newsmaker of the Year 2006 by the National Press Club in July 2007. Zille speaks English, Afrikaans, Xhosa, and German.[11]

Following her departure from the premiership in May 2019, she joined the South African Institute of Race Relations as a senior policy fellow in July 2019, though she suspended her fellowship in October 2019.[12] She started her own podcast, Tea with Helen, in August 2019.[13] Zille declared her candidacy for Federal Council Chairperson of the DA in October 2019.[14] She won the election.

  1. ^ "Zille". Collins English Dictionary. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  2. ^ "Applause as Zille secures premiership". IOL. 6 May 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
  3. ^ Zille leaves mayor's post[permanent dead link] Post. 30 April 2009
  4. ^ "Earth Times: show/236972,worlds-best-mayor-helen-zille-says-award-a-boon-for-democracy.html". www.earthtimes.org. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
  5. ^ "Helen Zille". Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2010.
  6. ^ "Profile: Helen Zille". BBC News. 15 April 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  7. ^ "Steve Biko's legacy lives on – Zille".
  8. ^ "Helen Zille (St Mary's School 1962 to 1968)". Archived from the original on 14 September 2010.
  9. ^ "SA mayor scoops 'world best' award – Politics | IOL News". IOL.co.za. 13 October 2008. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  10. ^ "City Mayors: World Mayor 2008 – Results". www.citymayors.com.
  11. ^ "Helen Zille Biography". Archived from the original on 2 August 2009.
  12. ^ "Helen Zille joins the Institute of Race Relations as senior policy fellow". SowetanLIVE & Sunday World. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  13. ^ Boonzaaier, Dawie (18 August 2019). "Zille wil Max takel – en almal kan luister". Netwerk24 (in Afrikaans). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  14. ^ Cele, S'thembile (4 October 2019). "Various senior leaders approached me: Zille to contest DA chair". City Press. Retrieved 4 October 2019.