Chairperson of the Federal Council of the Democratic Alliance
Incumbent
Assumed office 20 October 2019
Deputy
Annelie Lotriet Thomas Walters James Masango Ashor Sarupen
Leader
John Steenhuisen Mmusi Maimane
Preceded by
James Selfe
Federal Leader of the Democratic Alliance
In office 6 May 2007 – 10 May 2015
Preceded by
Tony Leon
Succeeded by
Mmusi Maimane
7th Premier of the Western Cape
In office 6 May 2009 – 22 May 2019
Preceded by
Lynne Brown
Succeeded by
Alan Winde
Mayor of Cape Town
In office 15 March 2006 – 30 April 2009
Deputy
Grant Haskin
Preceded by
Nomaindia Mfeketo
Succeeded by
Grant Haskin (acting) Dan Plato
Member of the National Assembly of South Africa
In office 14 April 2004 – 15 March 2006
Constituency
Western 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, Union of South Africa
Political party
Democratic Alliance (2000–present)
Other political affiliations
Democratic Party (before 2000)
Spouse
Johann Maree
(m. 1982)
Children
2
Residence(s)
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Alma mater
St Mary's School, Waverley University of the Witwatersrand
Occupation
Politician
legislator
activist
Profession
Journalist
Otta Helene Maree (néeZille/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.
^"Zille". Collins English Dictionary. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
^"Applause as Zille secures premiership". IOL. 6 May 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
^Zille leaves mayor's post[permanent dead link] Post. 30 April 2009
^"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.
^"Helen Zille". Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2010.
^"Profile: Helen Zille". BBC News. 15 April 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
^"Steve Biko's legacy lives on – Zille".
^"Helen Zille (St Mary's School 1962 to 1968)". Archived from the original on 14 September 2010.
^"SA mayor scoops 'world best' award – Politics | IOL News". IOL.co.za. 13 October 2008. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
^"City Mayors: World Mayor 2008 – Results". www.citymayors.com.
^"Helen Zille Biography". Archived from the original on 2 August 2009.
^"Helen Zille joins the Institute of Race Relations as senior policy fellow". SowetanLIVE & Sunday World. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
^Boonzaaier, Dawie (18 August 2019). "Zille wil Max takel – en almal kan luister". Netwerk24 (in Afrikaans). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
^Cele, S'thembile (4 October 2019). "Various senior leaders approached me: Zille to contest DA chair". City Press. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
Otta Helene Maree (née Zille /ˈzɪlə/; born 9 March 1951), known as HelenZille, is a South African politician. She has served as the Chairperson of the...
of 30 people, including party leader and Premier of the Western Cape HelenZille. The DA achieved 34.6% of the vote in the 2011 local government elections...
"HelenZille: Why South African politician will only shower every three days". BBC News. Pather, Ra'eesa (January 2018). "DA threatens to charge Zille...
Zille may refer to: Heinrich Zille (1858–1929), German artist HelenZille (born 1951), South African politician Zille (boat), a type of small barge used...
the party's Western Cape Premier candidate. In October 2018, Premier HelenZille appointed Winde to the post of Provincial Minister of Community Safety...
formally announcing her candidacy on 7 February 2020. Mbali Ntuli and HelenZille's relationship has been characterised by disagreement with each other...
Rudolf Heinrich Zille (10 January 1858 – 9 August 1929) was a German illustrator, caricaturist, lithographer and photographer. Zille was born in Radeburg...
leadership change, with Cape Town mayor and former anti-apartheid activist HelenZille having succeeded long-serving Tony Leon in May 2007. With a disproportionate...
inaugurated as a Member on 6 May 2009. The following day, 7 May 2009, Premier HelenZille named her Provincial Cabinet and appointed Meyer to the post of Provincial...
any city or organization and is run on strictly non-commercial lines. HelenZille and Leopoldo Lopez discussed their 2008 nominations on the BBC World...
in 1996. Plato was elected Mayor of Cape Town in May 2009, succeeding HelenZille, who was elected Premier of the Western Cape. In 2011, the Democratic...
and fundamental tension between her and party leader HelenZille that led to her departure. Zille stated that Mazibuko knew she would lose the election...
would have to find a television set. Leader of the Democratic Alliance HelenZille was met with the same fate. De Lille was awarded the Freedom of the City...
received 16.7% of the vote in 2009, up from 12.4% in 2004. The DA is led by HelenZille, who was re-elected unopposed as Leader of the Democratic Alliance at...
November. A vacancy was therefore created. DA Federal Council Chairwoman HelenZille and Steenhuisen both opposed a coalition agreement with the EFF. On 4...
congress in May 2007. He officially stepped down at that conference, and HelenZille was elected to be the new party leader on 6 May 2007. Leon, nevertheless...
Retrieved 20 January 2023. "'Zille should explain her cabinet changes'". EWN. 6 September 2010. Retrieved 20 January 2023. "HelenZille: Announcement of Cabinet...
establishment of the provincial legislature in 1994. Incumbent premier HelenZille of the Democratic Alliance (DA) was term-limited and could not seek a...
as the Multi-Party Forum parties. Despite the ID voting with the ANC, HelenZille of the DA was elected executive mayor on 15 March 2006 by a very narrow...
parliament, while the ANC won 14 seats with 31% of the vote. The DA leader HelenZille was elected Premier. In 2010 the Independent Democrats, which had won...
racist legislation. In June 2021, Democratic Alliance (DA) politician HelenZille courted controversy when she commented that "There are more racist laws...
gang war had already claimed so many lives that Western Cape Premier HelenZille had at one point asked for the army to be sent into Manenberg, though...
elected to the Western Cape Provincial Parliament in May 2009, and Premier HelenZille appointed him as Provincial Minister of Local Government, Environmental...
between 1999 and 2009. He unsuccessfully ran for party leader against HelenZille in 2007. In 2009, Trollip became a Member of Parliament in the National...
Western Cape is chosen by the Provincial Parliament. The incumbent Premier HelenZille was re-elected. The Western Cape was the only province not won by the...