Pretoria - Oscar Pistorius got support from an unexpected quarter on Thursday when a Mamelodi resident came up to him in the dock and thanked him for a previous act of kindness.
As Pistorius was about to leave the court for the day, a man who identified himself as Sheriff Makgalemela went up to the athlete bringing a spontaneous smile to his usually sombre face.
A beaming Makgalemela handed pictures to Pistorius, taken on November 28 last year, following the heavy hail storms that caused havoc in the city, including Mamelodi.
Some residents were left homeless after the roofs of their houses were blown off, or severely damaged by the strong winds and hail. In the aftermath of the storm, Pistorius arrived with sheets of corrugated iron, and helped some of his uncle’s employees to fix their damaged homes.
Makgalemela, who has always been a fan of Pistorius, lived a few houses down the road from where the Paralympian was helping out.
He took pictures of Pistorius on the rooftop of one of the houses and on Thursday recalled how the Blade Runner nearly hurt himself that day.
“He nearly fell through the roof. He told me today he still has the scars on his back.” Makgalemela took the pictures to court on Thursday so Pistorius could autograph them. “He still remembered me very well.”
The community, he said, was very grateful and happy that Pistorius had helped them out. “He brought a message of hope to us.”
Makgalemela had attended most of the trial and said his heart went out to Pistorius. He had compassion for the Steenkamps, but his loyalty lay with the athlete.
Pistorius gave Makgalemela a hearty hug after signing the pictures.
Pretoria News