Oscar-winning superstar Charlize Theron has paid a fleeting visit to East London and King William’s Town.
The Hollywood star visited a school, health clinics and hearing aid drive and spent a night at Mpongo Private Game Reserve’s four-star River Lodge on Tuesday night.
She was described as chilled, warm and down-to-earth by those who met her on her hush-hush visit to the city and watched in delight as children received hearing aids and heard their first clear sounds.
Theron, 40, who was accompanied by master satirist Pieter-Dirk Uys as well as an entourage of security personnel and other visitors on her charity-based visit, is the founder of the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project which helps African youth keep safe from HIV/Aids.
A strict “no photograph” rule was issued and a senior member of Theron’s charity said the visit was being kept under wraps with “no press” due to an exclusivity deal with the USA’s Today Show.
Mpongo Park general manager Rodney Gerhardt said a casually dressed Theron arrived at the reserve on Tuesday afternoon and enjoyed finger snacks near the hippo pool before making her way to nearby Newlands township.
Gerhardt said the Monster and Mad Max: Fury Road star “tucked into” a braai at the luxury bush lodge and had a quick tour of the reserve’s lions yesterday morning before making her way to King William’s Town. “She was very down-to-earth and pleasant and thanked our staff for the food.”
East London acoustician Brandon Schlimper – who helped fit more than 300 hearing aids at the Mngqeshe Great Place near King William’s Town yesterday – said Theron, dressed in jeans, T-shirt and cap, watched children’s responses after being fitted with hearing aids.
“She was making sounds like ‘ba-ba-ba’ in their ears to see if they could hear,” said Schlimper.
Small Projects Foundation managing director Dr Paul Cromhout of East London said he accompanied Theron and Uys on a visit to two department of health clinics and the Ngwenyathi Secondary School in Newlands on Tuesday afternoon.
“It was really lovely to have her and her staff and visitors. The children at the school went quite wild with excitement and when they saw her they were nearly falling out of the windows of the classrooms,” he said.
“They were jumping up and down and cheering. It was lovely,” said Cromhout, who runs the Bright Futures Programme, which is funded by Theron.
“She spoke to everyone and engaged actively with people with a huge amount of grace. Pieter-Dirk Uys gave a talk on HIV/Aids prevention and was awesome.” — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
Charlize Theron on hush-hush visit to EL
The Hollywood star visited a school, health clinics and hearing aid drive and spent a night at Mpongo Private Game Reserve’s four-star River Lodge on Tuesday night.
She was described as chilled, warm and down-to-earth by those who met her on her hush-hush visit to the city and watched in delight as children received hearing aids and heard their first clear sounds.
Theron, 40, who was accompanied by master satirist Pieter-Dirk Uys as well as an entourage of security personnel and other visitors on her charity-based visit, is the founder of the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project which helps African youth keep safe from HIV/Aids.
A strict “no photograph” rule was issued and a senior member of Theron’s charity said the visit was being kept under wraps with “no press” due to an exclusivity deal with the USA’s Today Show.
Mpongo Park general manager Rodney Gerhardt said a casually dressed Theron arrived at the reserve on Tuesday afternoon and enjoyed finger snacks near the hippo pool before making her way to nearby Newlands township.
Gerhardt said the Monster and Mad Max: Fury Road star “tucked into” a braai at the luxury bush lodge and had a quick tour of the reserve’s lions yesterday morning before making her way to King William’s Town. “She was very down-to-earth and pleasant and thanked our staff for the food.”
East London acoustician Brandon Schlimper – who helped fit more than 300 hearing aids at the Mngqeshe Great Place near King William’s Town yesterday – said Theron, dressed in jeans, T-shirt and cap, watched children’s responses after being fitted with hearing aids.
“She was making sounds like ‘ba-ba-ba’ in their ears to see if they could hear,” said Schlimper.
Small Projects Foundation managing director Dr Paul Cromhout of East London said he accompanied Theron and Uys on a visit to two department of health clinics and the Ngwenyathi Secondary School in Newlands on Tuesday afternoon.
“It was really lovely to have her and her staff and visitors. The children at the school went quite wild with excitement and when they saw her they were nearly falling out of the windows of the classrooms,” he said.
“They were jumping up and down and cheering. It was lovely,” said Cromhout, who runs the Bright Futures Programme, which is funded by Theron.
“She spoke to everyone and engaged actively with people with a huge amount of grace. Pieter-Dirk Uys gave a talk on HIV/Aids prevention and was awesome.” — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
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