‘Bad karma’ puts Oscar’s house on unwanted list
Pistorius needs funds for legal costs, but estate agents despair of selling his Pretoria home
TWO weeks before killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, Oscar Pistorius met with an estate agent to sell his luxurious house, where the killing later took place.
Now, after the tragic incident on Valentine’s Day six months ago, estate agents in the area say they would not even attempt to sell it.
Residents of Silver Woods Country Estate in eastern Pretoria also appear to have grown tired of the issue.
A red sign has been put up outside the guarded entrance that reads “Disclaimer: No Entrance Allowed”. It warns that media trying to enter the estate will be reported to the police.
A woman at the estate’s entrance this week said: “There’s nothing happening at the house. We haven’t seen him here and it’s annoying that people stop outside and point as if they’re going to see something.”
Alberto Ochetta of Casa Nostra Properties said: “I wouldn’t want to market that house. It just has bad karma attached to it now and it will be an incredibly difficult sell.”
The double-storey house was due to be listed with Engel & Volkers Silverlakes for R6-million. An employee said that was an abnormally high price for a house in Silver Woods.
Another estate agent working for one of South Africa’s top agencies, who asked not to be named, said: “The sad reality is everyone will always link this house to what happened that day. I’ve sold a lot of houses at Silver Woods, but this one will be impossible to sell.”
Pistorius has appointed a top legal team to defend him against a charge of murder, and his legal costs are expected to soar past the R2-million mark by the end of the trial, expected to be finalised next year.
The athlete said in his bail application that his income was R5.6-million a year, but since the incident he has lost lucrative endorsement deals with Nike and Oakley, among others.
Before February 14, Pistorius could have hoped for another bumper year after his success at last year’s London Olympics and Paralympics. But he was unable to compete in this year’s two major events, the London Anniversary Games and World Championships in Moscow.
He listed the Silver Woods home, valued at about R5-million, two other houses valued at R1.6-million and a stand in Langebaan in theWestern Cape worth R1.7-million as his assets.
He said he held more than R1million in cash at different banks and owned furniture, jewellery and cars worth more than R500 000.
A deeds search this week showed the properties were still registered in his name, although it was not clear if he was in the process of selling them.
It was reported earlier that Pistorius wanted to raise some cash.
Aclose friend, racehorse trainer Mike Azzie, was quoted as saying: “We spoke about one or two of the horses [that Pistorius owns]. He’s asked me to try to get people to buy them from him because he has no form of income . . . He’s selling off all his property and everything because of the legal costs.”
Asked about this on Friday, Azzie said he no longer wanted to speak publicly about Pistorius. “He is someone that I’m close to, but when we braai now or those things, we don’t speak about it. I would prefer not to talk about [him] in the media any more.”