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26/10/2012 15:49:32
BLADE RUNNER: HERO OR VILLAIN? The murder that shook the world - was it really an accident? Ten new points on a fast-evolving case
by HEATHER WALKER
AS Oscar Pistorius appears in court today for his bail hearing after being charged with the premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, the world remains gripped by this tragic turn of events that saw a hero become a villain overnight. The murder has been a huge talking point throughout the weekend, both back home and abroad, with South Africans fiercely divided on whether they believe he is innocent or guilty. Pistorius, who is possibly the most famous South African in the world apart from Nelson Mandela and Charlize Theron, was an international darling after becoming the first double amputee to compete in both the Olympics and Paralympics. Now he is being painted in some reports as an aggressive gunobsessed womaniser who attacked his FHM model sweetheart, allegedly with a cricket bat, before shooting her four times. Everyone has an opinion on what could have transpired on that fateful Valentine’s Day in Pretoria and several ‘sources’ have been quick to share grisly snippets with British tabloids. But until the truth of Pistorius’s guilt or innocence comes out in a court of law, which could be several months yet, speculation will continue to mount.
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INSIDE:
Silicon Cape – cashing in on the best apps | p9 Entrepreneur Stuart Minnaar from the Silicon Cape initiative speaks about his company Studentology. And we ask UK investor Haji Chana why he invested in Minnaar’s project.
Four women killed by their partners every day in SA | p3
Running hero and crossover Paralympian oscar Pistorius shocked the world when it emerged that he had shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp
10 key points: ● The runner’s family maintains that Pistorius did not shoot Steenkamp deliberately: “We have no doubt there is no substance to the allegation and that the state’s own case, including its own forensic evidence, strongly refutes any possibility of a premeditated murder or indeed any murder at all.” ● A bloodied cricket bat is reportedly a key piece of evidence from the scene of the crime. Was this
used to kill Steenkamp or did she use it to defend herself? It has been said that Steenkamp’s skull had been “crushed” ● Pistorius may have shot Steenkamp in a fit of so-called ‘steroid rage’ - officers supposedly found performance enhancing drugs at the athlete’s home ● Former UK Sun editor Stuart Higgins has flown to SA to help with Pistorius’s PR. This echoes murder accused Shrien Dewani
hiring British publicist Max Clifford ● Some of Pistorius’s sponsors may pull their support, and his agent has cancelled his races for the foreseeable future, including Australian meets in March and Manchester in May, where he would have raced against his Olympic rival Jonnie Peacock. ● One of the latest rumours to surface over the weekend was that the couple were fighting over a text continued on page 2
Putting celebrity aside, “Man slays woman partner” happens all too frequently for it to merit more than a few column inches.
One city, two nights, three SA dinners | p8 By sheer coincidence, within the space of three days there will be three feasts made by South African food fanatics in different parts of the capital.
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