Johannesburg- Cape Town's Mayor Helen Zille said Tuesday being named the world's best mayor was an incentive to keep working towards democracy in South Africa, which has been rocked by political turmoil over the past year.

Zille, who is leader of the country's main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party as well as mayor of the country's oldest city, said winning the 2008 World Mayor award on Monday was a "great honour."

"It is a great incentive for us to keep working to build democracy in South Africa with opportunities for all," said Zille, who is campaigning in general elections slated for April or May next year.

Political tensions are running high in South Africa following the ouster of Thabo Mbeki as president by his African National Congress (ANC) party in September and subsequent threats by a group of disgruntled ANC members to form a breakaway party.

The DA is hoping to cash in on the infighting within the ruling party come election time.

Zille was selected as the best performer from 820 mayors worldwide by global local government think-tank City Mayors.

The mayor of Zurich, Elmar Ledergerber and the mayor of the Venezuelan city of Chacao, Leopoldo Eduardo López, came second and third respectively.

In awarding the prize to Zille, City Mayors praised the 57-year- old former journalist and anti-apartheid activist for "giving people hope" in South Africa, where millions still live in dire poverty and the ANC is riven by infighting.

"Her only equals in South Africa are (Archbishop emeritus) Desmond Tutu and (former president) Nelson Mandela," the think-thank declared.

Cape Town is the only major South African city that is not controlled by the ANC, which has a more than two-thirds majority in parliament.

The city, nicknamed the Mother City, was ranked the best city in the Middle East and Africa to live in by Mercer human resource firm's in its Worldwide Quality of Living survey this year. (dpa)