Helen Zille facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Helen Zille
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Zille visiting Mpumalanga in January 2011
|
|
| Chairperson of the Federal Council of the Democratic Alliance | |
| 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
9 March 1951 Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa |
| Political party | Democratic Alliance (2000–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Democratic Party (before 2000) |
| Spouse |
Johann Maree
(m. 1982) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residences | Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa |
| Alma mater | St Mary's School, Waverley University of the Witwatersrand |
| Occupation |
|
| Profession | Journalist |
Helen Zille (born 9 March 1951) is a well-known South African politician. She is currently the Chairperson of the Federal Council of the Democratic Alliance (DA), a major political party in South Africa. She started this role on 20 October 2019.
Before this, Helen Zille was the Premier of the Western Cape province for two terms, from 2009 to 2019. The Premier is like the head of the government for a province. She was also the leader of the Democratic Alliance from 2007 to 2015. From 2006 to 2009, she served as the Mayor of Cape Town, one of South Africa's biggest cities.
Helen Zille used to be a journalist and an activist who worked against apartheid. Apartheid was a system of unfair racial separation in South Africa. She helped show the truth about the death of Black Consciousness leader Steve Biko when she was a journalist. She also worked with groups like the Black Sash that supported democracy.
Helen Zille has worked in all three levels of government in South Africa:
- As an education official (called a MEC) in the Western Cape from 1999 to 2001.
- As a Member of Parliament (MP) from 2004 to 2006.
- As Mayor of Cape Town from 2006 to 2009.
- And as Premier of the Western Cape from 2009 to 2019.
In 2008, Helen Zille was chosen as the World Mayor of the Year. She also speaks several languages, including English, Afrikaans, Xhosa, and German.
After finishing her time as Premier in May 2019, she joined the South African Institute of Race Relations as a senior policy expert for a short time. She also started her own podcast called Tea with Helen in August 2019.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Growing Up and Education
Helen Zille was born in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, on 9 March 1951. Her parents left Germany in the 1930s to escape persecution because her grandparents were Jewish.
She went to St Mary's School, Waverley, a private school in Johannesburg. Later, she studied at the University of the Witwatersrand, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. Around 1969, she joined the Young Progressives, a youth group of the Progressive Party, which was against apartheid.
In 1982, she married Professor Johann Maree, and they have two sons together.
Working as a Journalist
Helen Zille started her career as a political reporter for the Rand Daily Mail newspaper in 1974. In 1977, the Minister of Justice claimed that anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko died in prison because of a hunger strike.
Helen Zille and her editor, Allister Sparks, believed this was not true. Zille found proof by talking to the doctors involved in the case. They published a story that showed Biko had not been on a hunger strike.
After the story came out, the newspaper faced problems, but Zille's reporting was later proven to be accurate. She left the Rand Daily Mail when the newspaper's owner wanted them to be less vocal about equal rights.
Fighting Against Apartheid
During the 1980s, Helen Zille was very active in the Black Sash movement. This group worked to help people affected by apartheid laws. She was also involved in the End Conscription Campaign in the Western Cape, which opposed forced military service.
At one point, she was arrested for being in a "group area" without permission, which was against apartheid laws. She and her husband even used their home as a safe place for political activists during a time of emergency in 1986.
Work in Education Policy
In 1989, Helen Zille started a company that advised on public policy. In 1993, she became the Director of Development and Public Affairs at the University of Cape Town.
She also led the governing body of Grove Primary School. In 1996, she successfully challenged a government rule that limited how much school governing bodies could decide about staff.
Because of her work, the Democratic Party (which later became the Democratic Alliance) asked her to help write a plan for education in the Western Cape. In 1999, she became a member of the Western Cape Provincial Legislature and was appointed as the MEC for Education. An MEC is like a minister for a specific area in a province.
In 2004, Zille became a Member of Parliament (MP) for the DA. She also became a deputy leader and spokesperson for the party, focusing on education.
Mayor of Cape Town
Becoming Mayor in 2006
In the 2006 local elections, the DA became the biggest party in Cape Town. Helen Zille was elected as the Mayor of Cape Town on 15 March 2006. She won with the support of several smaller parties.
As Mayor, Zille and her team worked to make changes in the city. She faced some challenges from other political parties, but she worked to keep the city's mayoral system strong.
Key Focus Areas as Mayor
As Mayor, Helen Zille had important responsibilities. One major task was preparing Cape Town to be a host city for the 2010 World Cup. This included building the Cape Town Stadium, which hosted many football matches.
She also worked on improving housing and services for people in Cape Town. She said that her team helped increase the number of houses built each year. Her administration also set aside a special budget to provide water, electricity, and sanitation in informal settlements.
Leader of the Democratic Alliance
Becoming Party Leader
On 15 March 2007, Helen Zille announced that she wanted to become the new leader of the DA. She was a strong candidate and was elected as the new leader on 6 May 2007. She decided to lead the party while still being the Mayor of Cape Town.
Important Issues as Leader
As the leader of the DA, Helen Zille spoke out on several important issues.
- Healthcare: She warned about a new law that would give the government more control over private healthcare. She believed it could harm the system and cause skilled medical workers to leave. The DA suggested a different plan that involved more private healthcare.
- United Nations: In April 2008, Zille was invited to speak at the United Nations in New York City. She shared her experiences as Mayor of Cape Town. She supports the idea of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, which would help people feel more connected to the UN.
World Mayor Award
In October 2008, Helen Zille won the World Mayor Award. She was chosen from 820 mayors around the world. This was a big achievement for her and for Cape Town.
Stepping Down as Leader
In April 2015, Helen Zille announced that she would not seek re-election as the leader of the DA.
Premier of the Western Cape
.jpg)
Winning the 2009 Election
The 2009 general elections were Helen Zille's first big election as DA leader. She was the candidate for Premier of the Western Cape. Her party won over 51% of the votes in the province.
Helen Zille became the Premier, and Dan Plato took over as Mayor of Cape Town. Nationally, the DA also grew stronger, becoming the official opposition party.
Re-election in 2014
In the 2014 general elections, the DA won even more votes in the Western Cape, getting almost 60% of the vote. Helen Zille was sworn in for her second term as Premier on 26 May.
End of Premiership
In September 2018, the Democratic Alliance announced that Alan Winde would be their candidate for Western Cape Premier in the 2019 South African general election. Helen Zille could not run for a third term because the South African constitution limits a Premier to two terms. She left office on 22 May 2019.
Later Career
.png)
Joining the SAIRR
After leaving her public office in May 2019, Helen Zille joined the South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) in July 2019. She worked there as a senior policy analyst.
Tea with Helen Podcast
In August 2019, Helen Zille started her own podcast called Tea with Helen. On the podcast, she talks with people who have different political views. The podcast is available on YouTube, iTunes, and Spotify.
Federal Council Chairperson
On 4 October 2019, Helen Zille announced she would run for the position of Federal Council Chairperson of the DA. This role is similar to a Secretary-General in a political party. She said the party was going through a difficult time. She won the election later that month.
Personal Life
Helen Zille married Professor Johann Maree in 1982. They have two sons. She is a member of the Rondebosch United Church in Cape Town.
Published Works
- Zille, Helen (October 2016). Not Without a Fight. Penguin Books. ISBN 9781776090426
- Zille, Helen (April 2021). #StayWoke: Go Broke: Why South Africa won’t survive America’s culture wars (and what you can do about it). Independently Published. ISBN 9798727953457
See also
In Spanish: Helen Zille para niños
