10 Years On, Reeva Steenkamp's Parents No Longer Forgive Oscar Pistorius - South African News Briefs - February 14, 2023

Steenkamps Withdraw Forgiveness for Oscar Pistorius on the 10th Anniversary of Daughter's Murder

Speaking on the tenth anniversary of Reeva Steenkamp's murder, Barry and June Steenkamp say that while they initially forgave Oscar Pistorius for killing their daughter, they now believe Pistorius should stay behind bars for life after he refused to admit to them that he deliberately shot Reeva, IOL reports. According to MailOnline, Reeva's father met with Pistorius last year as part of the Victim-Offender Dialogue, facilitated by the Department of Correctional Services. The programme is part of the rehabilitation process for parole candidates. It aims to provide closure for the victim's family as well as an opportunity for the perpetrator to seek forgiveness. Pistorius is serving a 13-year sentence for the infamous murder on Valentine's Day in 2013, when he claimed to have mistaken Reeva for an intruder, shooting her through the bathroom door.

Government Declares National State of Disaster Over Floods

The government has announced another national state of disaster, this time in response to widespread flooding across the country - with forecasters warning that persistent and heavy rains this week could put a prolonged strain on rescue teams, reports News24. According to a statement from the office of the president, Mpumalanga, and the Eastern Cape have been the most severely impacted by the floods, which were brought on by intense rainfall as a result of the La Nina meteorological phenomena. Flooding has also occurred in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, the Northern Cape, and North West. The Presidency added that the agricultural sector bore the brunt of the flooding. "In agriculture, farmers have suffered crop and livestock losses, and anticipate further losses as the South African Weather Service predicts that current heavy rains will persist. Scattered to widespread showers and thunderstorms are still expected for the remainder of the week for a large portion of the country.

 20 Killed in Limpopo Bus Crash

At least twenty people died, and another 68 were injured in a head-on collision between a tour bus and a cash-in-transit van on the N1 in Louis Trichardt, Limpopo, reports News24. ER24 spokesperson Ross Campbell says the bus rolled off a bridge into a river, landing on its side. "Three people were found deceased by the roadside and sixteen down by the river. All were declared dead on arrival. Most of the fatalities down by the river had been trapped under the bus," said Campbell. Police are still investigating the exact cause of the crash.

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