The athlete, who lost both legs below the knees when he was 11 months old, is housed in the hospital wing of the prison, where he had his own cell and separate toilet away from the general prison population. The athlete received a new bath in his cell and a new bed after he complained.
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They told CNN the double amputee was very angry when he first arrived at Kgosi Mampuru II prison, where he was confined to a cell for 24 hours a day.
Murasiet Mentoor, the regional manager of the Judicial Inspectorate who reviews prisoner complaints, said: “Oscar was anxious that the food in the prison might be poisoned and that it would affect his health”.
As it’s emerged Oscar Pistorius could wait up to four months to be released from prison, it’s still unclear whether his family will approach the courts to have him released from prison sooner.
Pistorius should have served one-sixth of his jail sentence – 10 months – before being considered for release, Mthunzi said. His lawyers said they are considering their options. Du Toit thinks Pistorius is now being unfairly treated because of the high profile of his case, which has stoked emotional reactions.
“It comes down to differing interpretations: the justice minister said the parole board should only have begun considering parole on Friday, after Pistorius had completed a sixth of his sentence”.
Justice minister Michael Masutha had earlier warned he was taking legal advice on if he had the authority to “intervene” and prevent Pistorius’ early release.
Pistorius’ spokeswoman Anneliese Burgess said no decisions have been made yet by the family.
Wednesday would also have been Steenkamp’s 32nd birthday, and her parents earlier held a beachside ceremony in their hometown of Port Elizabeth on South Africa’s south coast.
Steenkamp’s mother June, who wrote to the parole board expressing her opposition to his release on Friday, welcomed the decision to keep him behind bars for the foreseeable future.
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Pistorius is also facing an appeal at the Supreme Court in November, when prosecutors will again press for a murder conviction and a minimum jail sentence of 15 years.
