Charlize Theron revisits childhood home in Benoni and reflects on violent past

Her account of fear and security at home

A clip of Theron’s appearance on The New York Times’s The Interview podcast resurfaced on social media, in which she described the security measures and atmosphere at her family home. In the clip she said:

“Sad…every room in our house had a steel door. That’s the kind of violence that we were living in. Nonsensical violence…our country was on the brink of civil war. It was frightening”

Family tragedy and emigration

The actress has spoken candidly about the night her mother, Gerda, shot and killed her father, Charles, in an act of self-defence. The shooting occurred in 1991, and the father has been described in reporting as an alcoholic and abuser. After that incident, Theron and her mother left South Africa and later moved to the United States, where they became naturalised citizens.

What happened to the Benoni house

The house, located on 7th Street in Rynfield, Benoni, changed hands and uses over the years. In 2012 the property’s then-owner, Barry Newland, was shot and killed by a group of intruders after he had turned the property into a car sales business. In 2015 partners Dirk Eloff and Vaughn Grobler bought the property and converted it into self-catering accommodation called Imbasa Accommodation.

The converted property features several units, a swimming pool and a large outdoor entertaining space. It is described in reporting as a tourist attraction and is said to include a handwritten message on a wall from Theron that reads: “All the best, Charlize Theron”.

Social media reaction

Theron’s comments about living in fear of violence prompted responses on social media. Examples of reactions quoted in reporting include:

• “‘Nonsensical violence’ and it was literally black people fighting against the Apartheid government for basic human rights” @Ondele_N

• “At least they had steel doors. Black people’s doors were kicked in whenever Apartheid police and soldiers felt like it. Black children/adults were assaulted in the streets or abducted from the streets by Apartheid police and soldiers to be tortured or murdered”. @inguquko1652

• “It’s funny she is talking about ‘nonsensical violence’ and how her family needed steel doors. Her mother killed her father in self-defence because her father was a drunk and pulled a gun on her mother and her. The nonsensical violence was coming from within your white household”. @NatTurnerBuddha

Reporting note

This article summarises details from reporting on Theron’s comments, the 1991 family incident, and subsequent ownership and uses of the Benoni property.