Johannesburg - Ahead of the start of his murder trial on Monday, supporters thought Olympian Oscar Pistorius had taken to Facebook to thank his fans for supporting him. But it was a hoax.
Within hours of the posting, @OscarHardTruth tweeted that the Oscar Facebook page was a fake and they were attempting to get it shut down.
The last time followers heard from Pistorius was on Valentine’s Day, the anniversary of the shooting of his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, when he released a statement on Twitter.
On Sunday, on Oscar Pistorius-Official, liked by more than 400 fans, the message was: “Thank You for the continued support and words of encouragement during this difficult time.”
Fans also put up messages of support on the page.
Under a picture of Pistorius, Danny Ah Hing wrote: “Just because I support Oscar… doesn’t mean I don’t have empathy for reeva’s parents and family and the heartache they are going through.”
Anika Huhn wrote: “Oscar, I believe that God has already forgiven you for what you did, I also forgive you because my whole life you were my Hero and forever you will stay my Hero… ”
Another fan, Elizabeth McGill, said: “ For over a year, every week, 6pm SA time, a group from around the world meet for prayers/meditation for both families… We will continue through this dark and tragic time! God Bless you, Reeva, and both families.”
The Star