Pistorius' dead girlfriend's TV show will go on air
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E-mail Agencies/Shanghai Daily, February 17, 2013
South Africa's national broadcaster will screen a reality TV show featuring the dead model girlfriend of Oscar Pistorius, it said yesterday, two days after she was shot and killed at the home of the double-amputee athlete and Paralympic superstar.
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In this undated handout publicity photo supplied by Stimulii taken on the island of Jamaica, Reeva Steenkamp poses on set during the shooting of the reality show "Tropika Island of Treasure." The show was scheduled to premiere on state television last night two days after she was shot and killed. |
In a statement, SABC said it will air the "Tropika Island of Treasure" program "which features the late Reeva Steenkamp." It was scheduled to be broadcast last night.
Pistorius was arrested and charged with the Valentine's Day murder of Steenkamp, who was shot multiple times in the predawn hours of Thursday at Pistorius' house in a gated community in Pretoria, capital.
Reeva's cousin, Sharon Steenkamp, said the family had not been consulted by anyone from the show or SABC, but they were not against it being aired because Reeva "was proud of being in the show."
"Her last words to us personally was that she wants us to watch it," Sharon Steenkamp said.
The show's executive producer, Samantha Moon, also said the family wanted the show to go ahead.
"They want it on," said Moon, who works for production company Stimulii. "This is how they want to remember her. This is what she would have wanted."
SABC said the show, where the 29-year-old blonde model and law graduate was expected to be seen laughing and smiling with other contestants and being interviewed by presenters, would also act as a tribute to Steenkamp.
"Definitely the SABC is going ahead with the airing of the program today," spokesman Kaizer Kganyago said, "and we have indicated that we will put messages of condolences on the program."
A Steenkamp family spokesman said relatives still faced a long struggle to come to terms with her killing.
"I can't see the family getting over this shortly," Reeva's uncle, Mike Steenkamp said. "It's going to be a long, long-term reconciliation with a lot of things and issues."
Mike Steenkamp said there would be a memorial service for Reeva in her home town of Port Elizabeth, on South Africa's southern coast.
"Reeva's casket is being brought to PE (Port Elizabeth)," he said.
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