Mbeki makes dream come true
2004-03-09 09:00
Jan-Jan Joubert and Eagan Williamson
Pretoria - President Thabo Mbeki helped a Pretoria woman realise her dream on Monday after he arranged for her to meet Oscar winner Charlize Theron.
The surprise meeting came after Mbeki met Lynn Potgieter while he was dishing out ANC pamphlets in Silverton on Monday afternoon.
Not shy to speak to the president, Potgieter asked Mbeki whether he had met the Hollywood superstar. "No but I am going to just now," he replied.
"It has always been my dream (to meet her), especially now that she is doing so much charity work," said Potgieter to the president.
"Then why not come too," said Mbeki.
"Ag, you are joking," she answered. "No, come and keep me company," Mbeki said.
Without hesitating Potgieter ran off to "put on something nice". Three minutes later, Potgieter, her neighbour Danie de Beer and his daughter, Maritsa, were whisked away in Mbeki's convoy to the Presidential Guest House where they would meet Charlize.
After it was all over, Potgieter said: "It was a hell of a privilege."
"It was an ordinary Monday. I had only just stopped outside the house and was wondering what to cook for dinner when the president stopped at my gate.
"It still feels like a dream. It was double luck: the president and Charlize in one day. I put lipstick on in the car and didn't even have time to brush my hair. What happened to me will only sink in tonight."