Helen Zille
Mayor of Cape Town
Born	9 March 1951 Johannesburg
Political party	Democratic Alliance

Helen Zille (b. 9 March 1951) is the mayor of Cape Town in South Africa and a member of the Democratic Alliance (DA). Image File history File links Helenzille. ... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... City motto: Unity in Development Province Gauteng Mayor Amos Masondo Area  - % water 1,644 km² 0. ... The Democratic Alliance (DA) is a liberal South African political party, and the official opposition to the ruling African National Congress. ... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... City motto: Spes Bona (Latin: Good Hope) Location of the City of Cape Town in Western Cape Province Province Western Cape Mayor Helen Zille Area  - % water 2,499 km² N/A Population  - Total (2004)  - Density Not ranked 2,893,251 1,158/km² Established 1652 Time zone SAST (UTC+2... The Democratic Alliance (DA) is a liberal South African political party, and the official opposition to the ruling African National Congress. ...

In the 2006 municipal elections, the DA became the largest single party in Cape Town with 42% of the vote, ahead of the African National Congress (ANC). Helen Zille was elected by 106 votes to 103 on 15 March 2006, after the DA obtained the support of several smaller parties. The 2006 South African municipal elections were held on March 1, 2006, to elect members to the local governing councils in the municipalities of South Africa. ... The African National Congress (ANC) is a Communist political party, and has been South Africas governing party supported by a tripartite alliance between itself, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) since the establishment of majority rule in May 1994. ... March 15 is the 74th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (75th in Leap years). ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...

Zille has faced considerable opposition and confrontation with the ANC, in September 2006,the provincial ANC MEC Richard Dyanti,announced he planned to replace the city's political system. Dyanti wanted to impose an executive committee sytem, replacing the mayoral comittee system, the move would have resulted in Zille being stripped of her mayoral powers and her role would have been reduced to a ceremonial one. The move would also have allowed the ANC and ID (Independant democrats) to acquire a majority, with both parties controlling 6 of the 10 seats on the committee. The media and DA labelled the change as a 'power-grab' and the local and international media began to question democracy in South Africa. Zille pledged to take the issue to the constitutional court, however considering the negative publicity the ANC was facing, Dyanti and Zille settled on retaining the current mayoral system whilst the ANC was provided with two additional sub-committees in areas of the city controlled by the ANC. It has been alleged that the attempted 'power-grab' was administered by the higher ranks of the ANC, who saw Zille as a threat and as her effective running of the city was reflecting badly on the previous ANC-led council which had previously controlled the city.

Zille began her career as a political journalist for the Rand Daily Mail, she famously exposed the truth behind Steve Biko's death. Her editor at the time, Allister Sparks recalls: 'She was the star cadet on the Rand Daily Mail'. She was previously involved in the Black Sash movement, the End Conscription Campaign, the South Africa Beyond Apartheid Project and the Cape Town Peace Committee. She also gathered evidence for the Goldstone Commission which investigated attempts to destabilise the Western Cape before the elections in 1994. The Black Sash was a non-violent white womens resistance organisation founded in 1955 in South Africa by Jean Sinclair. ... The End Conscription Campaign was an anti-apartheid organisation of conscientious objectors in South Africa. ...

She held the position of head of Public Relations for the University of Cape Town. As head of governing body of Grove Primary School in 1997, she led a successful challenge against government policy limiting governing bodies' powers to appoint staff[1]. The University of Cape Town, abbreviated as UCT, is a public university located on the Rhodes Estate on the slopes of Devils Peak, in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. ... Grove Primary school is a school from pre-primary to grade 7 in Claremont, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. ...

She was the MEC for Education in the Western Cape and subsequently became a Member of Parliament for the DA. Within the DA she rose to the level of deputy federal chairperson and was the national party spokesperson and spokesperson for education. Capital Cape Town Largest city Cape Town Premier Ebrahim Rasool Area - Total Ranked 4th 129,370 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 5th 4,524,335 35/km² Elevation Highest point: Seweweekspoort Peak at 2325 meters (7628 feet) Lowest point: sea level Languages Afrikaans (55. ...

She was a finalist in the South African Woman of the Year Award in 2003 [2].

Zille is regarded as a strong contender to succeed the outgoing leader of the Democratic Alliance, Tony Leon, at the party's federal congress in May of 2007.