The mayor of Cape Town, Helen Zille, has been awarded the 2008 World Mayor Award by City Mayors, an international online platform and think tank on urban governance.
Editor of City Mayors, Tann vom Hove, said Zille had dedicated her professional life to improving the well-being of South Africans. "Helen Zille was the judging panel's unanimous choice for the 2008 World Mayor Prize. This amazing woman was making a difference and giving people hope."
Zille was among 50 mayors from around the globe, including Johannesburg's Amos Masondo, to have been shortlisted in the contest earlier this year. Internet users from around the world were invited to show their support for their shortlisted mayor by voting for them and adding a supportive comment.
The organizing committee then cut this list down to 11 mayors based on the number of votes as well as the persuasiveness of the supportive comments, which ultimately weighed more than votes, so as to not unfairly discriminate against cities with smaller online populations.
Among the comments Zille received from voters were:
"Helen Zille runs probably the most sensitive and challenging Unicity in the world, yet has done so in a friendly, professional, compassionate manner, using her outstanding leadership and inter-personal skills to hold together a fragile political coalition and deliver on the promises to ALL the people of Cape."
"My vote is for Helen Zille because she cares passionately about South Africa and its people. A recent example of her compassion, leadership and practical common-sense approach to problems is the recent refugee crisis in Cape Town. When politicians were talking, Helen Zille was acting and organising, setting up emergency shelters, arranging for community help and getting her feet muddy. Go Helen, we need people like you as leaders on our planet."
"She really believes in what she is doing, and is genuine in her desire to improve the lives of as many people as possible. She gives of herself (too much sometimes) and is passionate about furthering true democracy in South Africa."
The organisers stated that Zille had the most passionate and eloquent supportive comments in this year's contest. "Her humanity, charm, integrity, vision and political know-how have all been praised in equal measures," said City Mayors.
The runner-up for the World Mayor Award was Emar Ledergerber, mayor of Zurich for his successes in "building bridges between the privileged and less privileged communities in his city."
The third place was awarded to the mayor of Chacao, Leopoldo Lopez, who was cited for his work as a hands-on mayor and a national politician who fought for democratic openness and fairness in Venezuela.
Mayors Phil Gordon of Phoenix, USA and Ulrich Maly of Nurnberg, Germany completed the top five.
For more information visit: www.worldmayor.com
Source: Sapa / SAGN
