Young fans cheer Oscar

Olympian Oscar Pistorius enjoyed an unexpected hero's send-off when he left the Pretoria High Court yesterday.

After playing hide-and-seek with the media on the previous two days of the trial, the 27-year-old casually strolled out of court yesterday to supportive clapping and chants of his name.

These were the voices of young scholars who had gathered in the hope of grabbing a snap of Pistorius.

"Keyo keyo keyo, Oscar [here he is, here he is, Oscar]," screamed pupils as Pistorius made his way, surrounded by policemen and four of his own bodyguards, to a silver Land Rover.

One person who wasn't in a festive mood was Gauteng premier Nomvula Mokonyane, who asked: "What about Reeva's family?

"Right now Oscar is going to have a meal and tonight he'll sleep in a warm bed, while Reeva is lying in a cold grave," said Mokonyane.

The premier, who walked into court minutes after Pistorius, with two ANC Women's League members, said she had sat beside Steenkamp's family to show "solidarity as a woman and a mother against killing of our daughters".

"Reeva's mother, June, wasn't able to make it today so we are here as mothers and women to show we stand by her and are with them through this time," she said.

Mokonyane commended state witnesses Michelle Burger, Charl Johnson and Estelle van der Merwe: "This will show that South Africa does have good women and men who are willing to stand in court despite the [accused's] fame and glory just to defend the victims," she said, before being whisked away by her bodyguards.

Burger's experience on the stand seems to have touched a nerve with Mokonyane, as she said the league was taking "copious notes" on how victims and witnesses were treated.

She referred to the moment that defence advocate Barry Roux had told the court that Pistorius's life was at stake - and labelled the remark "insensitive".

Reaction on twitter

@siya: "Before the end of this trial, Barry Roux will have asked someone 'how can you be sure that you are not Batman?'"

@tamlyn_can: "I doubt anyone would want to be a witness . after watching the #OscarTrial phew Barry Roux."

@mariledoubell: "Cannot believe the idiocy of playing with firearms under a table of a busy restaurant ."

@engel_kyle: "If Barry Roux were a florist, he would be the planter of doubt." @Tsek_Bastard: "Miley came in like a Wrecking-Ball; Barry Roux came in like a Cricket-Bat Hitting a Door!"

@giftpearlz: "I want Barry Roux on my lobola team."

@chestermissing: "Now Roux wants prep time because Oscar shot a gun in Tasha's. It's easy Barry, it was actually a very small cricket bat."  Compiled by Poppy Louw