June Steenkamp, mother of Reeva Steenkamp, attends the trial of South African Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius in Pretoria on April 7, 2014. Picture: AFP PHOTO
June Steenkamp, mother of slain model Reeva Steenkamp, is “done” with Paralympian and convicted murderer Oscar Pistorius – once and for all.
Steenkamp was reacting to Pistorius having exhausted all possibilities in his attempts to lower the 13-year jail time he was slapped with for shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva, on that fateful Valentine’s Day five years ago.
He has constantly maintained he thought she was an intruder.
Pistorius’ last ditch attempt failed in the Constitutional Court this week, after the court ruled it did not have the jurisdiction to grant him leave to appeal.
This is now the end of the road for Pistorius, according to the National Prosecuting Authority, who were confident Pistorius’ attempt would not succeed.
With the constant and extensive international attention drawn to Pistorius’ court appearances – for Steenkamp and her husband Barry, it is now about moving forward while raising awareness around women abuse.
“I am not interested in Oscar Pistorius, I am finished with that!” Steenkamp told The Citizen yesterday, “It’s up to the justice system now – I have no interest whatsoever in him. He is not important to me anymore. It has been five years and I have had enough now.”
Steenkamp added that both she and Barry are not “vengeful or vindictive” people and were not concerned over his legal bids to reduce his sentence. She further raised that on April 29, Barry would undergo heart surgery.
“And that basically comes from when he lost Reeva and had a stroke. He damaged a valve which calcified. But he is going to be fine,” she said.
“We’re now concentrating on the Reeva Steenkamp Foundation – it’s going so well and we are going to do great things. We have attorneys and advocates on board who are coming up with brilliant ideas.
“It is difficult to raise money but before I die, I want to have a refuge centre for women to get away from abuse. Even though we have no money, we are going to schools and are also tackling bullying. That is why people tend to end up being abusive. Some children have even committed suicide because of bullying.”
She said she and her husband are involved.
“We are trying our very best and all in Reeva’s name. Reeva would love this. We miss her still every day… It’s like someone chopped my arm or leg off. I still have painful feelings every day.”
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