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Patricia de Lille

  • Mayor
  • City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality

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Patricia de Lille was elected as the Executive Mayor of Cape Town in 2011 and became the first Mayor to serve a full five-year term in the democratic dispensation since 1994.

Mayor De Lille was re-elected for a second term in August 2016 with a two-thirds majority.

Under her leadership, Cape Town is widely been regarded as the best-run metro in South Africa and has received close to 90 international awards including taking the top spot on the prestigious New York Times’ list of 52 Places to Go in 2014 and the winner of the 2015 C40 Cities Award for Adaptation for the City’s successful Water Conservation and Water Demand Management Programme (WCWDM). Cape Town was also awarded the World Design Capital for 2014.

Accountability and clean governance has been a trademark of her tenure with the City achieving consecutive clean audits and holding the highest possible credit rating for local government.

Under her direction, the City of Cape Town has pioneered the Transit Orientated Development (TOD) Strategic Framework, the MyCiTi Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System by expanding quality, reliable and affordable transport to communities most in need, it has delivered basic services to millions of people, has amplified its work of mitigating climate change and reducing carbon emissions through the small-scale-embedded generation programme, the solar water heater accreditation programme and becoming the first African city to use electric buses for it public transport system.

Cape Town has also acquired a global reputation for its contribution and membership in numerous international initiatives for cities including the C40 Cities and 100 Resilient Cities. Mayor De Lille currently serves as a board member of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, Chairperson of the Global Parliament of Mayors, Vice-President of the World Energy Cities Partnership and a commissioner for the Global Commission on Economy and Climate.

Mayor De Lille has served in all three spheres of government including as a Member of Parliament for 15 years. Former President Nelson Mandela described her as his favourite opposition politician.