Pretoria - Rea du Plessis, 73, has closed her biltong shop so she can lend her support to Oscar Pistorius.
She and her daughter left her home in Boksburg early on Monday to get seats in the public gallery in the High Court in Pretoria, where Pistorius was to take the stand.
Once she got there, she made her way to the dock and pressed a note into the athlete’s hand.
“I locked up my biltong shop to be here, and my daughter and I started travelling early to Pretoria to ensure a seat. I feel very sorry for him and I want him to know he has my support. I was desperate to give him a note to show him that we are here for him.”
The note simply read “Oscar, we love you.”
Pistorius responded with a faint smile.
Du Plessis’s shop will be closed for the rest of the week as she attends the trial.
Just before lunch on Monday, a pale and tense Pistorius entered the witness box. As the day progressed, things went from bad to worse for the Blade Runner, and eventually ended with his defence advocate asking for an early adjournment as Pistorius was physically and emotionally exhausted.
Asked by Barry Roux how he felt while testifying about his deep belief in God, Pistorius replied: “I am just very tired at the moment.”
Roux asked if he had slept the previous night, to which Pistorius responded: “No, sir. I am just tired… There are a lot of things going through my mind.”
Pretoria News