As Oscar Pistorius prepares for his release from Kgosi Mampuru Prison in Pretoria this Friday, a new chapter begins in his life under strict parole conditions.
UPDATE: On Friday, 5 January 2024, the Department of Correctional Services confirmed Oscar Pistorius was released on parole and escorted to a residence in Pretoria, Gauteng. Public images of the convicted athlete have yet to surface.
Parole conditions Oscar Pistorius must live by
The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has made it clear that the world-renowned former Paralympian will not be allowed to give any media interviews, marking a significant change from the spotlight he once occupied.
Pistorius’s parole, confirmed by Correctional Services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo, comes with a set of standard conditions.
“He will be expected to be home at particular hours of the day. He may not consume alcohol and other prohibited substances. Participation in other programmes that would have been identified by the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board (CSPB) will also be compulsory for him,” Nxumalo elaborated.
The journey to this point has been long and fraught with legal twists.
In 2014, the Pretoria High Court found Pistorius guilty of culpable homicide for the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine’s Day 2013.
However, his conviction was later escalated to murder.
This legal back-and-forth significantly impacted both his incarceration and subsequent bids for parole.
He made his first attempt at parole in March 2023, which was rejected by the board on the grounds that he had not completed the minimum detention period required.
However, a subsequent ruling by the Constitutional Court identified this as a mistake, clearing the way for a new parole hearing. This second attempt, occurring less than eight months after the first, ultimately led to his release on parole.
This rollercoaster of legal proceedings and public scrutiny has brought Pistorius to his current status – a free man, navigating a world vastly different from the one he knew as an Olympic athlete.
Pistorius’s case has not only captured global attention but also sparked conversations about domestic violence and the justice system in South Africa.
As he steps back into society under these new conditions, the world watches to see how he adapts to this next phase of his life, surrounded by rules that dictate his every move.