Helen Zille Selected As the World's Best Mayor

Cape Town's mayor wins the 2008 World Mayor Prize

Helen Zille, Executive Mayor of Cape Town and leader of South Africa’s opposition Democratic Alliance, has been awarded the 2008 World Mayor Prize by City Mayors, an international urban affairs think tank that recognises the achievements of outstanding mayors from all world regions.

Commentators supporting her nomination said that in a country devoid of present day role models, this “amazing lady” was making a difference and giving people hope. “Her only equals are Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela in Southern Africa.”

Mayor Helen Zille said: “It is a great honour to have been awarded the World Mayor award. It is a tribute to the teams, in the Mayor’s office, the city officials, my caucus colleagues, the team in parliament and my family, who work tirelessly to support me in everything I do. It is a great incentive for us to keep working to build democracy in South Africa with opportunities for all.”

Tann vom Hove, Editor of City Mayors, said Helen Zille was the judging panel’s unanimous choice for the 2008 World Mayor Prize.

“The Mayor of Cape Town has dedicated all her professional life to further the well-being of all sections of South African society. She has done so with courage, tenacity and, above all, a deep-felt love for Cape Town, her country and its people,” vom Hove said.

The top 11 mayors of World Mayor 2008:

1) Helen Zille, Mayor Cape Town, South Africa
2) Elmar Ledergerber, Mayor of Zurich, Switzerland
3) Leopoldo Eduardo López, Mayor of Chacao, Venezuela
4) Phil Gordon, Mayor of Phoenix, USA
5) Ulrich Maly, Mayor of Nuremberg, Germany
6) Jaime Nebot, Mayor of Guayaquil, Ecuador
7) Marides Fernando, Mayor of Marikina City, Philippines
8) Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, Mayor of Tehran, Iran
9) Göran Johansson, Mayor of Gothenburg, Sweden
10) Salvador Gandara, Mayor of Villa Nueva, Guatemala
11) José Fogaça, Porto Alegre, Brazil

According to city residents from all continents, an outstanding mayor must possess qualities of greatness: leadership and vision, good management abilities, social and economic awareness, ability to provide security and to protect the environment, as well as the skill to foster good relations between communities from different cultural, racial and social backgrounds.

“Mayor Zille is a phenomenal woman, she leads the city as opposed to ruling it. She understands the people who live in the city and what they need to be successful. She appeals to people across age, gender and race. She is a true inspiration to the youth of South Africa,” said vom Hove.

“Helen Zille is an inspiration. Her courage, tenacity, honesty and common sense are so refreshing as we plough through the difficult political time we are having at the moment. She is a shining example of good governance.”

The 2008 World Mayor Project was conducted over an 18-month period, starting in spring 2007. During 2007, City Mayors, the organisers of the project, invited a worldwide audience to submit nominations of mayors deemed worthy of being among the most outstanding city leaders in the world. More than 74,000 voters nominated a total of 820 mayors for this year’s World Mayor Award.

In July 2008, editors at City Mayors drew up a short list of eleven mayors, who stood out in terms of number of votes and quality of comment from their supporters.

From July to the end of September, the organisers of the World Mayor Project consulted and took advice on which of the eleven mayors from the final short list should receive the 2008 World Mayor Award. Among the editors of City Mayors, Helen Zille was the unanimous choice.

Molo Says: “Our team at CapeTownMagazine.com is ecstatic that Mayor Zille has achieved the kind of recognition that she wholeheartedly deserves. Congratulations, Madame Mayor, you have made Cape Town immeasurably proud!"

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