Reeva remembered at emotional funeral
AROUND one hundred mourners said their final farewell to slain model Reeva Steenkamp as tearful friends and family attended a private service at the Victoria Park cemetery in South End, Port Elizabeth, yesterday morning.
Many former classmates who attended St Dominic’s Priory with Steenkamp arrived at the ceremony wearing their old school blazers. Some teachers and nuns also arrived at the ceremony in the school van.
Bongiwe Gaxamba, who matriculated at the school with Steenkamp in 2001 said she was “the epitome of love”.
“She was all love, warmth, hugs and smiles. That is how I will remember her. We kept in contact after school via Facebook and she was such a wonderful person,” she said.
An emotional friend of the family, Samantha Gregorowski, who grew up with Steenkamp said she would be missed.
“She was such a sunny person. The service was beautiful and very emotional,” she said.
Another mourner, who did not want to be named, said the service was “beautiful” and said friends and family members who wanted to say something about Reeva all got the opportunity to do so.
“Some people said a few words and it was definitely a celebration of her life. Those that knew her personally said that she had really touched their lives,” she said.
While Steenkamp’s uncle, Michael Steenkamp and other family members addressed the huge media contingent after the service, her parents and other family members discreetly left the crematorium.
Celebrity mourners, including 5FM’s DJ Fresh and Poppy Ntshongwana, Isidingo actress Jay Anstey, singer Mario Ogle, rapper Da Les and television presenter Pearl Thusi all declined to speak to the media as they left the ceremony.
DJ Fresh, Da Les, Ogle, Anstey and Thusi all appear with Steenkamp in Season 5 of the reality television show Tropika Island of Treasure.
South African rugby player Francois Hougaard, who was also in attendance, also refused to speak to the media and left the service quickly after it was completed, driving off in a black Jeep.
Several members of the public who did not know Steenkamp also arrived at the ceremony to give flowers to the family but did not attend the service.
Meanwhile between 30 and 40 ANC women’s league and youth league members in the region assembled outside the Port Elizabeth High Court in Bird Street yesterday just before 10am to lead a protest against violence against women.
The protesters, mostly dressed in green and black, arrived in taxis and waved placards and an ANC flag. They chanted and sang outside the court building and demanded that Oscar Pistorius should not receive bail for his part in Steenkamp’s death.
Some of the placards read “Enough is Enough”, “No Bail for Oscar”, “ANC in solidarity with Reeva” and “Oscar is a dog, not a man”.
Councillor Nomvuselelo Tontsi, who leads the municipality’s gender desk, said they were protesting against all gender-based violence.
“Violence against women does not have a colour.”