Who was who in the Oscar trial zoo
Before the murder trial of the decade began, many of them were just names. But thanks to a television audience of millions, these characters, in court and on the small screen, have become household names. Tymon Smith, Sue de Groot and Werner Swart take a
Judge Thokozile Masipa Her first name means “happy”, but there were moments during the trial when Masipa was far from it. She admonished people in the overflow room watching a live feed of the proceedings for acting as if court was a form of entertainment staged for their personal delight. She was not above having public gallery members ejected for errant cellphone interruptions. But her kind side also came to the fore as she made sure Oscar Pistorius was emotionally able to give testimony, and there were moments she was seen to crack a smile and even make the occasional joke.
Barry Roux Perhaps it was because Pistorius’s advocate got to crossexamine state witnesses first, but within days of the start of trial he became the subject of internet memes, rap songs and impersonations. The entire country, it seemed, suddenly developed a new way of starting a conversation — with his catch phrase “I put it to you”. Now that the defence has closed its case, Roux seems less abrasive, more polite and less sarcastic.
Kenny Oldwadge The second defence advocate was nowhere near as charismatic as Roux. You could hear the moans whenever the former cop got up to address the court. The word “schoolmaster” was bandied about all over the Twittersphere and looks of pain passed between journalists as the ever efficient, but not always sociable, lawyer gave stick to the prosecution on points of law. But the most intimidating part of Oldwadge had to be the looks he gave witnesses from his chair while chewing on the frame of his glasses. By the end of the trial, he will definitely need a new pair.
Gerrie Nel He was relatively quiet and unassuming during the presentation of the state’s case, but those who had seen him in action in other cases kept warning of this prosecutor’s bulldog approach to cross-examination. When Nel began to tear holes in Pistorius’s testimony, the Blade Runner’s supporters took to coming to court to pray for their hero’s speedy recovery from the mauling. A shortish bloke and a keen wrestler and grappling coach, Nel has left many expert defence witnesses contemplating their future. One of those must be forensics expert Roger Dixon — in his nightmares, the bogeyman has surely been replaced by the prosecutor, and the beer he enjoyed after his stint on the stand must have been extra bitter courtesy of top dog Nel.
June Steenkamp Reeva Steenkamp’s mother made sporadic appearances at the court, where she remained steely-eyed most of the time. There were occasional smiles for members of the ANC Women’s League and family members who accompanied her for support. She seemed to be a strong woman, able to show little emotion even when graphic details of her daughter’s fatal injuries were discussed. She said very little — apart from some interviews with international media, known for paying for this privilege.
Aimee Pistorius The Pistorius siblings are close and the athlete’s sister was visibly upset during the most difficult parts of her brother’s testimony. She spent most of her time comforting him and representing the support of his family. She was the one who helped to clean up when Pistorius threw up in court and also the first to approach the Steenkamp family, giving June a hug. It was rare to see her relax or smile and so observers resorted to admiring her outfits while trying to avoid her often icy glare.
Carl Pistorius Nobody, and by nobody we mean those in the peanut gallery who are not related to him, really liked Pistorius’s brother. He appeared aloof and his Twitter account revealed him to be rather pious and full of glib self-help sentiment and Bible verses. He was often seen hugging his brother and comforting him and Aimee during the hardest parts of the Paralympian’s testimony.
Arnold Pistorius In the absence of Pistorius’s father, Henke, it was left to Uncle Arnold — as he became known — to take the patriarchal reins for the family. A constant presence on the family bench, he was often seen to chat and joke with members of the foreign press and seemed to think that his nephew’s defence was going well even when everyone else thought it was not. He is obviously a man of stature — the Pistorius clan was even called the Kennedys of Waterkloof — and the glue that holds the family together.
The ANC Women’s League Its strong public statements about the guilt of Pistorius aside, the ladies in green, while not always observant of court etiquette, remained a frequent presence and source of comfort to June Steenkamp during difficult evidence. They were not above making a few light quips and chatting to the journalists behind them, either. Their Jacob Zuma blankets certainly kept them warm during the final, wintry week of testimony.
The Myers family As Reeva Steenkamp’s “Joburg family”, the Myers family had as much right as anyone to be upset by the proceedings. Their Sandton fashion sense, Jackie O glasses and general kugels-in-the-big-city nervousness did not help, though. They were seen driving back from court in a convoy of personalised-numberplate white Mercedes-Benzes, and it was hard not to think that they often felt they were in downtown Johannesburg rather than the confines of a Pretoria court. They were not above speaking to journalists, just as long as no one insulted Marc Batchelor, who seemed to have taken on the mantle of family bouncer.
Katy Katopodis The TV show hosted by Eyewitness News editor-in-chief Katopodis on DStv’s trial channel should rightfully not have been called The Editors, since there were hardly ever enough actual editors filling the seats. Instead, a motley assortment of hacks, bloggers and tweeters were invited. Somehow it still worked, though, and the formidable Katopodis made a seamless transition from radio to television.
Emma Sadleir It would not be fair to say that attorney Sadleir was cast as a TV persona for her looks alone, because she also has a sterling track record in social media law. But being cute and blonde certainly did not hurt. Her segment was a hit because she was articulate, informed and up to date. It took her reputation only a few seconds to recover from an early comment about Twitter being as good as a live court transcript. It is not.
John Webb It must have been outrageously difficult to keep up a constant stream of patter in the dead time to be filled when court was late to resume, or during long recesses. Seasoned newshound Webb, who broadcast live from a rooftop in Pretoria, is commended for never being at a loss for words, but some found his portentous tone a little hard to stomach. Even his comments on the weather were delivered in a way that made one look for bombs dropping in the background.
Bongani Bingwa Measured, reasoned, logical and direct, Carte Blanche stalwart Bingwa had an enviable ability to ask the right questions while decisively avoiding clichés. Perhaps he should have been the one on the roof in Pretoria.
David O’Sullivan Apart from the nit-picky fact that guests of his Round Table Debate on DStv’s trial channel sat along a counter and not around a table, this slick show provided consistently lucid legal analysis. Those who thought O’Sullivan was merely a newsman or sports buff discovered that he was also once a lawyer, which enabled him to hold his own with some of the bar’s best brains. Among the stars of the O’Sullivan show were:
Mannie Witz The affable advocate, who looked as though he would love to offer you a beer and a chop, turned out to be as clever as he was charismatic.
Cliff Alexander The attorney, who has represented high-profile clients himself, had a shiny-headed, clear-eyed air of authority that made one want to believe everything he said.
James Grant The University of the Witwatersrand professor of criminal law shared his insights into responsibility and the psychology of moral behaviour in an inclusive, accessible way, without once hitting a pompous note. After his TV appearances, students from other faculties are probably blocking the doorway to his lectures.
Ulrich Roux A bright young lawyer from one of Johannesburg’s top criminal law firms, Roux managed to explain complex legal matters in a way anyone could understand. Secret fact — he looked so comfortable in front of the camera because Roux was a presenter on a children’s channel about 20 years ago.