Charlize Theron with her Best Actress Oscar

Many papers feature the star of Monster on their front pages on Tuesday.

"Charlize owns the silver screen," proclaimed the daily Pretoria News.

"South Africans sat glued to their TVs yesterday to watch Charlize Theron collect her Oscar award," it said.

"Theron became the first South African to win the title of Best Actress - an achievement which brought praise from many, including President Mbeki, and adulation from the public."

The Daily News crowed: "Oscar's coming home!"

"President Thabo Mbeki has congratulated Oscar winner and local Benoni girl Charlize Theron... for her dramatic transformation into a murderous prostitute in "Monster", it says.

Mandela meeting?

The Cape Argus also picks up on the congratulations from Mr Mbeki, saying the president plans to "roll out the red carpet for Charlize".

When Charlize brings her statuette here next week the country must be sure to give her a fitting welcome - after all she's the best actress in the world right now The Citizen

It quoted his spokesman as saying that, as well as a formal reception for Miss Theron, the president was looking "at other ways to honour her achievement".

It also touts a meeting with an even more celebrated child of South Africa, Nelson Mandela himself.

The former president's spokesman said Mr Mandela would be only too glad to meet her and congratulate her.

Miss Theron's hopes have been big news in the South African press ever since her nomination was announced.

Newspapers have dug for details on the 28-year-old's youth in Benoni, a working-class white community 35km (23 miles) east of Johannesburg.

The most astonishing fact to emerge was that the young Charlize saw her mother shoot her drunken father dead in self-defence.

'Roots reclaimed'

Her acceptance speech in Los Angeles on Sunday night went down a storm back home.

After watching Lord of the Rings pick up so many awards, she joked: "I know everyone in New Zealand's been thanked, so I'm going to thank everyone in South Africa, my home country."

The Citizen was delighted.

"Her gushing reclamation of her roots has put this country on the artistic map in spectacular fashion," it said in an editorial.

"When Charlize brings her statuette here next week the country must be sure to give her a fitting welcome," it said. "After all she's the best actress in the world right now."

The Star suggested the actress might pay one more compliment to South Africa.

After being accompanied to the Oscar ceremony by her fiance Stuart Townsend, it ventured: "May we suggest that South Africa would be the perfect venue for a low-profile wedding?"

"After all, the only thing that would make South Africans happier than having an Oscar winner is having an Oscar winner marry on home soil. Madiba (Mr Mandela) could act as father of the bride."