‘It was take Oscar’s money or starve’

Reeva Steenkamp's parents, June and Barry, in the High Court in Pretoria. File photo: Antoine de Ras

Reeva Steenkamp's parents, June and Barry, in the High Court in Pretoria. File photo: Antoine de Ras

Published Nov 13, 2014

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London - Reeva Steenkamp’s mother said on Wednesday that she took “blood money” from Oscar Pistorius, her daughter’s killer, because “it was that or starve”.

June Steenkamp, 68, said her husband Barry, 71, had a stroke soon after their daughter, a model, was shot dead by the double amputee Olympic runner on Valentine’s Day last year. They became bankrupt and were evicted from their home.

The couple took R6 000 a month from Pistorius from March last year until September this year but rejected a R375 000 lump sum.

Mrs Steenkamp told the Daily Mirror: “We didn’t have much choice. We were in a bad way. We had no food on the table. It was that or starve. I wasn’t happy about it but we are going to pay back every cent.”

Pistorius, 27, nicknamed the Blade Runner, was jailed for five years by the High Court in Pretoria after being convicted of the culpable homicide.

Daily Mail

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