Oscar Pistorius granted parole but only after festive season

Former Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius has been granted parole and will be allowed to return to the Waterkloof, Pretoria, home of his uncle Arnold Pistorius on January 5.

The correctional services department announced on Friday Pistorius will be released from prison, under strict conditions, until the end of December 2029 before his parole falls away and he becomes a free man.

According to his parole conditions, Pistorius has to undergo regular therapy as well as mandatory therapy and training to manage his anger issues and tendency of violence towards women.

Speaking to TimesLIVE from Atteridgeville Prison outside Pretoria where the parole board sat to hear Pistorius’ application, Rob Matthews — father of murdered student Leigh Matthews — said it was a relief to have the matter decided with clarity on the way forward.

Matthews was at the venue to represent June Steenkamp, mother of Reeva Steenkamp, the woman Pistorius shot four times with hollow point ammunition as she cowered behind a locked bathroom door on Valentine’s Day in 2013.

Matthews’ daughter Leigh was shot multiple times the day after her 21st birthday by kidnapper Donovan Moodley, who is serving life for the murder. Rob and Sharon Matthews developed a bond with June and Barry Steenkamp as the families had experienced mirror tragedies with their blonde daughters, the same age, having been brutally killed by angry, narcissistic men. The Matthews have endured a few unsuccessful parole applications by their daughter’s killer and the Steenkamps went through the same ordeal when Pistorius was involved in an aborted parole hearing in March this year.

The Matthews marked what would have been Leigh’s 40th birthday in July and the Steenkamps marked what would have been Reeva’s 40th in August. And then in September, as described by June Steenkamp in her victim impact statement read into the record at the hearing, Barry died in September — having suffered what she described as a broken heart.

Unable to endure more trauma, June opted to spend the day alone as Pistorius made his bid for freedom.

“It was a privilege and an honour to be her voice and to speak out for victims. June has had an absolutely terrible year and I was glad to be here for her today,” Matthews said.

“I wish all victims could realise they are not voiceless. They need to register their interests and concerns in the handling of their offenders so they make sure they have the opportunity to be involved when there is a parole hearing. That they get their chance to have their say and tell their side of the story so that correctional services doesn’t just act on the one side presented to them.”

Correctional services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said Pistorius was classified as a first-time offender with a positive support system.

“Parole placement forms part of the rehabilitation programme in correcting offending behaviour ... Pistorius will complete the remainder of the sentence in the system of community corrections and will be subjected to supervision in compliance with parole conditions until his sentence expires,” he said.

In terms of Pistorius’s parole conditions, he may not leave the magisterial district of Waterkloof for any reason without first obtaining permission. He is required to undergo anger and violence management training and will remain under correctional supervision for nearly six years. If he makes it to that date without breaking his parole conditions or reoffending, he will be free from January 1 2030.

TimesLIVE