The night Charlize's dad died

2007-12-09 19:43

Chantelle Nicholas

Cape Town - "Where's that bloody bitch?" asked Charlize Theron's father on the fateful night when he was shot dead.

"I told him please to stop talking like that. 'Fuck all of you!', he replied."

The South African-born Oscar winner describes the night of July 21 1991 at their house in Cloverdene near Benoni, when her mother, Gerda, shot and killed her father, Charles.

In a new book, Deadly Women - when passion ends in blood , seasoned journalist and author Chris Karsten reveals what Charlize (her dad's favourite name for her was Kieriekoppie) told police in her statement about the shooting.

The police file containing the statement by Charlize, 15 years old at the time, has since been shrouded in mystery.

It "suddenly disappeared" after Charlize received an Oscar for her role in the movie Monster, in which she portrayed a deadly avenger.

There seems to have been a determined effort to keep a lid on the contents of the police file.

Described as a drunk and wife-beater

Six months after Charles's death, the magistrate was unable to record a verdict. The Attorney-General at the time declined to prosecute anyone.

In the book, Charles's sister, Elsa Malan, and her family also lift the veil on their relationship with Charlize and her mother.

Charlize and Gerda have always described Charles as a drunk and a wife-beater.

But his family has decided that the truth should come out about the events of that winter's night at Plot 56, Third Avenue, Cloverdene.

Until now, Charlize and Gerda had threatened to take the family to court if they talked to the media about it.

On that fateful night, Charles went to visit Elsa. Charlize and her mom had gone off to a photo session for a modelling competition, but Charles didn't want to go with them.

Gerda and Charlize returned from the photo shoot about 21:30 and stopped outside Elsa's house.

Charlize needed to go to the toilet and dashed through the kitchen without greeting Charles's family.

When she came back, Charles asked Charlize why she hadn't greeted anyone.

Charles was upset. Charlize took offence and left with her mother.

Later, Charles phoned home and spoke to Charlize.

Father was lying in main bedroom

When he put down the phone Charles told Elsa: "If she (Gerda) locks me out tonight, I'm going to shoot the lock off," pointing to his .22 pistol.

Sometimes when they had a quarrel, Gerda locked Charles out and he would sleep in the caravan.

Charles later asked his brother, Danie, to take him home. Danie was reluctant, because he disliked Gerda.

Shortly afterwards, Elsa and Engela, Danie's wife, hurried over to Charles's house, where an employee told Elsa there had been a shooting.

Charles was lying face-down in the main bedroom. His spectacles were broken.

Charlize was sitting with a blanket wrapped around her in the lounge, crying and in shock.

The statement by Charlize reads:

"I, Miss Charlize Theron, a 15-year-old white female of Plot 56, Third Avenue, Cloverdene, (of) Die Kruin High School, Johannesburg, Standard 8, hereby declare the following:

"My mother went to ask my father for the key. I could hear that he was aggressive towards her.

"I then heard my father's brother, Danie Theron, ask him: 'Why do you take shit from her?'

"Then someone banged on the kitchen door. I told my mom that it was my dad, and that I was afraid of him."

Charlize then sketches the events immediately before the shooting.

Her mother opened the door to her father and they quarrelled about the security gate being locked.

Her statement reads: "My father said he would kill us with his shotgun. My mom said she was afraid that he really would kill us.

"The next moment I heard a number of shots being fired. I don't know how many, and then I heard my mom screaming? hysterically.

"When I went into the passage, I saw my father's brother, Danie Theron, standing in the passage.

"My mom was sitting in a corner of the bedroom. I ran to her and asked: 'What happened?'

Mother hadn't had any alcohol

"My mother was crying and she said: 'Charlize, I've shot them. I've shot them.'

"I can only state that my mother had not had any alcohol at any stage. She was sober."

Charlize's granny, Bettie, drove down from Kuruman to hear from Gerda what had happened. Gerda told her mother-in-law: "Mom, he was the strongest man. He didn't want to fall."

In the book, Ouma Bettie asked Charlize why she hadn't greeted her father. Charlize rushed outside, crying: "Am I being blamed for everything now?"

- Rapport