Pretoria - This is an extremely difficult week for June and Barry Steenkamp, as they celebrate their daughter’s 32nd birthday on Wednesday, two days before the man who killed her walks out of jail.
While Oscar Pistorius will be preparing to leave Kgosi Mampuru II Prison in Pretoria, the Steenkamps will spend the morning on the beach where their blonde beauty daughter’s ashes were strewn.
“They will spend a quiet morning at the beach in Port Elizabeth at the spot where her ashes were strewn,” family lawyer Tania Koen said on Tuesday.
“There will only be a handful of family and close friends, and they will pay their respects to her and honour her.
“We will also throw rose petals into the water.”
She asked the Pretoria News not to mention at which beach they would be gathering, as they desire a quiet affair and don’t want to be hounded by the media while paying their respects.
“The family are still battling to come to terms with Reeva’s death as it is still very traumatic for them.
“They have to live every day of their life with the knowledge that she is no longer here.
“Her birthday is an especially emotional time for them.
“They just want to spend the day in her honour.”
Koen said Barry was battling with his health and both he and June take every day as it comes.
“But special occasions such as Reeva’s birthday make things a bit more difficult as they miss her dearly.”
Koen said the Steenkamps stand by what they earlier told the parole board when asked for their input regarding Pistorius’s release on Friday.
“They still feel 10 months in jail is not enough.”
The Steenkamps earlier this week said in a statement they were still trying to accept their daughter’s death.
“As a family we want to continue to honour Reeva’s memory and will commemorate her birthday by focusing on the Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp Foundation, celebrating her life, what she stood for and the joy she brought into so many lives.”
The couple said they appreciated the interest shown by the media and the public and thanked people for all the messages they had received.
Pretoria News