Reeva’s mother future: There are always two sides to a story

Oscar Pistorius has spent his second Christmas in jail after being convicted for killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. File picture: African News Agency (ANA) Archives

Oscar Pistorius has spent his second Christmas in jail after being convicted for killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. File picture: African News Agency (ANA) Archives

Published Dec 10, 2023

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Regarding Oscar Pistorius’s parole, “… as a young man with his whole life ahead of him”. Pistorius is 37 years old and has to serve 5 years under parole supervision. He will then be 42 – no longer a “young man”, but middle-aged.

His fame as an athlete has been shattered and he has to bear the scars of his imprisonment for life.

A job will be hard to come by unless his uncle can find some employment for him. How will he be accepted by the social set-up at large? Not too bright a future.

A letter writer sympathises with June by saying, “Reeva’s mother is left alone in her twilight years to fend for herself”. So are thousands of others. Why did the young

Steenkamps not make provision for their old age? At the time of Reeva’s death, they were living off what she earned. June herself stated that when Reeva was young, they were well into the equestrian scene. An expensive sport. What happened to Barry’s job as a stable manager and trainer? Did they enjoy the high life with no vision for the future? What has June done with the monies from her book and all the interviews?

Oscar paid R6 000 a month for 18 months to the Steenkamps’ well-being. He even sold his car to give them R375 000, paid into their lawyer’s trust account. This was kept a secret until it came out in court. There are always two sides to a story.

* John R. Germiston.

** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.

Cape Argus

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