Three months after his release from prison for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, Oscar Pistorius has been spotted in public for the first time. Grinning yet gaunt, the 37-year-old former paralympian was photographed by South African news site Netwerk 24. Although he has been released from prison, he is still on strict parole and must abide by certain rules. Now balding, his hair is completely gray. While he had previously gained weight in prison, Pistorius was noticeably thinner and has shaved off the a bushy gray beard, according to sources. Driving a late-model SUV, casually-dressed Pistorius appeared to be running errands around Pretoria, just a few kilometers from his uncle’s fortified compound. He avoided speaking with photographers during his outing.
Pistorius is a shadow of his former self, when he was an international celebrity. In 2012, he became a household name as the first double amputee to run in the Olympics. However, months later he shot Reeva Steenkamp multiple times through a bathroom door in his house, telling authorities that he mistook her for an intruder. He was initially sentenced to five years in jail for culpable homicide, but prosecutors appealed the light sentence and he was re-sentenced to 13 years and five months. He served more than half of that sentence before being released in January.
But life outside prison has not been easy for Pistorius, who was previously a fixture in Pretoria’s nightlife scene. Since his release, Pistorius has been hidden away at his uncle’s fortified Pretoria compound. The upscale property — located in the exclusive Waterkloof suburb — has armed guards, electronic defenses and reportedly several “attack dogs.” Although he is not required to wear an electronic monitor, a parole officer checks on him at random hours of the day or night. He is not allowed to drink alcohol or do drugs. He cannot be on social media, and is forbidden from contacting the Steenkamp family.
According to his parole paperwork, Pistorius has listed his volunteer work at NG Kerk Waterkloof, the Dutch Reformed Church attended by his uncle. He does light maintenance and janitorial work and quietly attends services. Parishoners told The Post that he is serious and doesn’t interact with others. I almost didn’t recognize him,” says Aida Govender, who spotted him at the church in early March while visiting with her relative. “You would never know he was an athlete; he’s just not the same.”