Helen Zille Biography
Otta Helen Maree well known as Helen Zille is a South African politician. Helen has served as the Federal Council Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance since 20th October 2019. From 2009 to 2019, Helen was the Premier Of The West Cape province for 2 five years term and also a member of the Western Cape Province Parliament.
Helen Zille served as the Federal Leader of the DA from 2007 to 2015.
Ziller is a former journalist and anti-apartheid activist and was one of the journalists who exposed the cover-up around the death of Black Consciousness leader Steve Biko.
She also worked with the Black Sash and other pro-democracy groups during the 1980s. 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. 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.
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. She started her own podcast, Tea with Helen, in August 2019. Zille declared her candidacy for the Federal Council Chairperson of the DA in October 2019. She won the election.
Helen Zille Age | Date Of Birth
Helen Zille was born on 9th March 1951 in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is 68 years old as of 2019.
Helen Zille Family | Husband
She married Professor Johann Maree in 1982 and they have two sons, Paul and Thomas. Despite her outspokenness, Helen Zille’s husband and children stay away from the limelight.
Helen Zille Education Background
- She studied at Johannesburg’s St Mary’s School, Waverley.
- She later studied at the University of the Witwatersrand, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Helen Zille Career in Journalism
In 1974 she began her career as a political correspondent for the Rand Daily Mail newspaper. In September 1977 after the Minister of Justice and the Police J.T. Kruger announced that Steve Biko- an apartheid activist had died in prison as the result of an extended hunger strike. Zille and her editor Allister Sparks were convinced Kruger’s story was a cover-up, and Zille obtained concrete proof of this after tracking down and interviewing doctors involved in the case.
Due to the publication of the paper Minister Kruger immediately threatened to ban the paper, and Zille received death threats. Zille and Sparks were represented at the subsequent quasi-judicial Press Council by leading defence lawyer Sydney Kentridge. The two were found guilty of “tendentious reporting”, and the paper was forced to issue a correction. Kentridge later helped confirm the accuracy of Zille’s account when he represented the Biko family at the inquest into his death. That inquest found Biko’s death had been the result of a serious head injury but failed to find any individual responsible.
Helen Zille resigned from the Rand Daily Mail along with editor Allister Sparks, after the paper’s owner, Anglo American, demanded that Sparks quiet the paper’s equal rights rhetoric.
Helen Zille Anti-apartheid Movement
During the 1980’s she was involved in the Black Sash movement. She served on the regional and national executives of the organisation and was also vice-chair of the End Conscription Campaign in the Western Cape.
Together with her husband, they offered their home as a safe house for political activists during the 1986 State of Emergency, and she was temporarily forced into hiding with their two-year-old son.
Zille was also actively involved in the South Africa Beyond Apartheid Project and the Cape Town Peace Committee. She later gathered evidence for the Goldstone Commission which investigated attempts to destabilise the Western Cape before the elections in 1994.
Helen Zille Professional Career
In 1989 she formed a public policy consultancy and in 1993 she was offered the position of Director of Development and Public Affairs at the University of Cape Town.
During this time Zille also chaired the governing body of Grove Primary School, and in 1996 led a successful challenge against government policy limiting governing bodies’ powers to appoint staff.
Helen Zille Political Career
The Democratic Party (now the Democratic Alliance) invited her to write a draft policy for Education in the Western Cape. In 1999 she became a Member of the Western Cape Provincial Legislature and was appointed MEC for Education.
In 2004 she became a Member of Parliament with the DA. Within the DA, she rose to the level of deputy federal chairperson and served as a national party spokesperson and spokesperson for education.
On 15th March 2006, she was elected mayor by 106 votes to 103. Subsequently, Zille’s multi-party government decided to revoke the appointment of Cape Town City Manager Wallace Mgoqi, whose term of appointment had been extended by the outgoing ANC executive mayor, Nomaindia Mfeketo. Zille’s decision was upheld by the High Court, which ruled that the extension of Mgoqi’s appointment by the previous mayor had been unlawful.
In 2009general elections, she contested as a leader of the DA. She was selected as a candidate for Premier of the Western Cape, and her party succeeded in winning 51.23 percent of the province’s vote.
Helen Zille Latest News
The retired Democratic Alliance politician, Helen Zille, has been in the headlines due to some of her controversial views. Zille, known for making controversial statements throughout her career, served most recently as the 7th Premier of the Western Cape.
She has been using her Twitter account to make her views known on different issues, and her recent “Black Privilege” comments sparked a lot of outrage in South Africa.
Helen Zille has made it known that she will continue expressing her views on South African politics through her personal Twitter account and other avenues even after her retirement. Helen Zille’s Twitter account is, however, the main way to air her opinions to the public, as she has openly stated that she will continue to tweet since she is protected by the freedom of expression. Many people do not agree with some of Helen Zille’s tweets and find them discriminatory. But, other than her outspoken personality, who is Hellen Zille?
Helen Zille Award
She was nominated as one of 820 World mayors and was the winner of the 2008 World Mayor Award in October 2008.
Helen Zille Net Worth
Helen Zille’s house is in Rosebank, Cape Town. Although Helen Zille’s net worth is unknown currently, she confessed that she does not have plenty of money as it has never been a motivator for her.
Helen Zille Publication
- Zille, Helen (October 2016). Not Without a Fight.
Helen Zille Photo
Helen Zille
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Helen Zille Twitter
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Helen Zille Address
PHONE
- 021 483 4705/6
- 082 825 6120
ADDRESS
- Room 185, 1st floor, 7 Wale Street, Cape Town
CONSTITUENCY OFFICES
- Not associated with any constituency offices