I'm heartened to see glimmers of hope: Charlize Theron on SA's civil unrest

Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron may be a whole ocean away from the civil unrest that's happening in SA, but she says her “thoughts and love” are with the people of her home country during this “painful time”.

Posting on Twitter, Theron acknowledge that the recent spate of violence and looting in parts of Mzansi had affected people's jobs as well as their access to everything from food to Covid-19 vaccines.

However, the star said she was “heartened to see glimmers of hope as communities come together and support each other”.

She added a message to her fellow South Africans, saying, “Our country is extraordinary in so many ways – diverse, resourceful, proud, accomplished, and so incredibly strong. May we come out of this intensely challenging time to find peace and safety.”

Earlier this year, Theron won a Red Carpet Advocacy (RAD) Impact Award for “inspiring purpose” though the work she does via her charity, the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project.

As part of her prize, she was given the opportunity to make an “Impact donation” to fund a project that would benefit a community. She opted to partner with the Small Projects Foundation, with the aim of helping students in Buffalo City, who had dropped out during the Covid-19 crisis, return to school.

Said Theron of her choice on Instagram: “The Eastern Cape has experienced a horrifying 30% dropout rate since the pandemic, so we are focusing our impact there — on getting each and every child back to being a learner, where they are safe, fed, and given the opportunity to thrive as they deserve.”