Nine years later, Reeva Steenkamp’s shocking murder is revisited – this time it's from the perspective of her grief-stricken parents Barry and June Steenkamp in M-Net’s exclusive 3-part documentary “My Name is Reeva”.
When the channel announced this particular true-crime offering was on the cards, it immediately piqued everyone's curiosity.
Murder tends to do that – especially when there is no closure. It’s particularly harder on loved ones.
On that fateful day, February 14, 2013, I remember the outpouring of support for Reeva’s family after news broke that her then-boyfriend, Oscar Pistorius aka the Blade Runner, had shot her.
I was driving to work and every radio station was talking about it. I got to the office and saw that every news outlet (print and digital) and the local and international broadcasting networks were talking about it.
At the time, it was brushed off as terribly tragic as Pistorius claimed that he mistook her for a suspected intruder.
It became apparent that there was more to the story when he was arrested and charged with murder.
At the time, Reeva and Pistorius were the IT couple. They were the media darlings on the red carpet.
The 29-year-old model, who was studying to become a lawyer, was on the cusp of a breakthrough in the showbiz industry.
Aside from making FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World poll of South African FHM readers, ranking at #40 in 2011 and #45 in 2012, she was making inroads with several TV commercials in her kitty. That’s not taking into account the fact that she was a live roaming presenter for FashionTV in SA, a celebrity contestant on BBC Lifestyle’s “Baking Made Easy” in 2012, and a celebrity contestant on “Tropika Island of Treasure” season five.
The world was her oyster and the gateway to stardom was hers for the taking.
But her future was snatched away from her. And the sad reality is that there are only two people who know what happened that Valentine’s Day – one is in prison claiming that it was an accident and the other is dead.
Essentially, “My Name is Reeva” is not seeking to shed new light on the case. Instead, it is an emotionally-charged tribute to Reeva and the person that she was. It also looks at the impact her death has had on her ageing parents.
At the murder trial, which was televised live, Reeva was the victim and Pistorius the offender. It was all about the facts pertaining to the case. Everyone waited on tenterhooks to find out if it was going to be a guilty or not guilty verdict.
As such, the essence of who Reeva got lost and this documentary, in a way, brings it back. It is a pertinent topic now because Pistorius is seeking parole. Initially sentenced to six years, he was then given 15 years by the Supreme Court of Appeal and was only meant to be eligible for parole in 2023.
In June, Barry agreed to a face-to-face with him as part of the victim-offender dialogue. As a father, he wanted answers – ones that weren’t answered during the trial.
Watching the first episode, I have to tell you, my heart broke for Reeva’s parents. You can see how tormented they are by losing their daughter, who was also the breadwinner in the family. June candidly admits to her marriage taking strain as a result, while Barry says they are prisoners in their own home.
They no longer socialise. They only have each other to talk to and he admits that it sometimes does become too much.
A relationship expert unpacks the impact of the trauma on Barry and June, with journalist Barry Bateman weighing in on the case as well as the Steenkamps lawyer.
There are several other experts who are a part of this documentary.
The documentary features re-enactments of that fateful night, based on Pistorius’s testimony.
I was choked up with emotion when the parents spoke of throwing a rose into the ocean where her ashes were scattered on the anniversary of her birth and death.
Somehow comforted by the earlier memories of his daughter, Barry recalled Reeva’s tenacity in paving her own way. He shared a story of how she, despite not knowing how to bet on horse racing, approached him about it.
He advised her on the favourites and, long story short, her numbers won and she used her winnings to pay for her school fees.
Barry’s health has taken a knock over the years but he’s made peace with it, knowing that a reunion with his daughter is at the end of the journey.
June, grieving in her own way, reflected on Reeva’s dreams to be a model and lamented the fact that her desire to walk down the aisle and have children will never be realised.
She was overcome with emotion when she recalled Reeva’s first modelling job, where she was in a wedding gown.
They say time heals all wounds but for Barry and June, it has kind of stood still. The pain hasn’t faded. If anything, it shadows them in all that they do.
And that is what makes this entire situation all the more tragic – Reeva’s parents are inconsolable and anyone watching this feels broken by their defeated fight.
“My Name is Reeva” airs on M-Net (DStv channel 101) on Thursday at 8.30pm. The episodes will be available on Catch Up.
**The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.