Rules bent as Oscar marks 28th birthday
PRISON officials bent over backwards for Oscar Pistorius and his siblings on his birthday yesterday.
The athlete, serving a fiveyear sentence after he was found guilty of culpable homicide for the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, spent his 28th birthday in prison.
The Sunday Times witnessed several rules being flouted by officials at Pretoria’s Kgosi Mampuru II prison yesterday, including:
Allowing his brother and sister, Carl and Aimee, to bring him a string of balloons, gift bag and cake purchased outside the prison;
Allowing the siblings to visit him for almost two hours, despite departmental guidelines stipulating visits may not exceed one hour; and
Prison officials driving the siblings’ cars into the prison grounds without searching them and allowing the siblings to use another exit to avoid our photographer.
According to the Department of Correctional Services’ own rules for sentenced offenders, inmates are only allowed delicacies purchased at the prison tuck shop.
The department has not clarified under which group of offenders Pistorius has been classified — Group A inmates enjoy more privileges, including visits of 60 minutes each, while Group C prisoners are allowed only 30minute visits.
Carl and Aimee arrived at the prison at 10.20am to visit their brother.
Struggling to walk after sustaining several injuries in a car crash in August, Carl carried balloons with the words “Happy Birthday” on them.
Aimee was seen arriving in a white Volvo and Carl in a silver Audi TT driven by an unknown man.
The driver was approached by two prison officials, who then drove both cars into the prison grounds through a boomed checkpoint. Neither of the cars were searched, as is the norm for vehicles entering a high-security area.
One of the guards then told the Sunday Times that no photographs were allowed of the facility and only backed off after a call to acting national commissioner Zach Modise.
Correctional services spokesman Logan Maistry denied Pistorius was receiving special treatment, but said the allegations were regarded in a serious light, and “will be investigated”.