South African politician Otta Helene Maree, commonly referred to as Helen Zille was born on March 9, 1951. Helen has presided over the Democratic Alliance’s Federal Council. She served as the Western Cape province’s premier for two terms of five years beginning in 2009 and was also a member of the Western Cape Provincial Assembly. She was Cape Town’s mayor from 2006 to 2009 and the Democratic Alliance’s federal leader from 2007 to 2015.
Biography & Wikipedia
According to sources, Helen was the oldest child of parents who independently fled Germany in the 1930s to escape Nazi persecution because both her paternal grandmother and maternal grandpa were Jews. Helen Zille was born in Hillbrow, Johannesburg.
Helen received her schooling at Saint Mary’s School, Waverley, one of the private institutions in Johannesburg. She pursued her education at the University of the Witwatersrand and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts. She became a member of the Young Progressives, a liberal, anti-apartheid youth organisation, in 1969.
In 1974, Zille started her career working as a political journalist for the Rand Daily Mail. J.T. Kruger, the South African minister of justice and police, made the announcement that anti-apartheid campaigner Steve Biko had passed away in custody after a protracted hunger strike. This was in September 1977.
Zille was persuaded that Kruger’s tale was a cover-up, and she and her editor Allister Sparks were able to prove it by finding and speaking with the doctors who were involved in the case.
Zille formed a public policy consultancy in 1989 and was offered the position of Director of Development and Public Affairs at the University of Cape Town in 1993. She chaired the governing body of Grove Primary School and led a successful challenge to government policy, limiting governing bodies’ powers to appoint staff.
Helen was invited by the Democratic Party (now the Democratic Alliance) to write a draft policy for Education in the Western Cape and was appointed MEC for Education in 1999. In 2004, she became a Member of Parliament with the DA and rose to the level of deputy federal chairperson and served as national party spokesperson and spokesperson for education.
Age and birthday
Birthday: 9th March
Age: She will be 71 years in March 2023
Height and weight
This information is not in the public domain.
Nationality & Ethnicity
Helen is a South African national born in Hillbrow, Johannesburg.
Education
According to online sources, Helen attended Saint Mary’s School, Waverley, one of the private institutions in Johannesburg. She pursued her education at the University of the Witwatersrand and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts.
Political party and views
Helen belonged to the Democratic Alliance, a political party in South Africa.
Husband and children
Helen is married to professor Johann Maree and together, they have two sons. Paul and Thomas.
Salary and net worth
This information is not in the public domain.
Social media: Instagram & Twitter
Twitter: @helenzille
