Gun comments split Pistorius family
2013-03-05 14:49
Johannesburg - A remarkably public feud erupted on Tuesday
within the family of Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee Olympian charged with
murdering his girlfriend, as the runner and his relatives distanced themselves
from comments his father reportedly made about guns and crime in South Africa.
The ANC also waded into the family dispute, with a spokesperson
for the ruling party accusing Henke Pistorius of racism for his observations
reported in British newspapers about crime against white South Africans and the
suggestion that the ANC government isn't adequately protecting them.
The Pistorius family and the reputation management firm it
has hired are working to head off any negative publicity or controversy that
might possibly have a bearing on the outcome of the runner's case, which could
see him jailed for life if convicted of pre-meditated murder.
'Deeply concerned'
They quickly issued a statement early on Tuesday morning
saying the family "is deeply concerned" about the father's interview
that "doesn't represent the views of Oscar or the rest of the Pistorius
family".
The Telegraph and Mirror newspapers quoted Henke Pistorius
as saying the family owns handguns for self-defence. That is not unusual in
South Africa. Two years ago, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said the country had
1.7m registered firearm owners holding 2.9m guns.
Oscar Pistorius had a police licence for the 9mm pistol with
which he shot Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine's Day.
The Lowveld Firearm Collectors Association, which the runner
joined last April, said Pistorius also owned but hadn't yet licensed six other
firearms for his gun collection.
Beeld reported that the runner's father, three uncles and
grandfather also own 55 firearms between them, ranging from handguns to rifles.
"Some of the guns are for hunting and some are for
protection, the hand guns," the Telegraph quoted Henke Pistorius as
saying. "It speaks to the ANC government, look at white crime levels, why
protection is so poor in this country, it's an aspect of our society."
"You can't rely on the police, not because they are
inefficient always but because crime is so rife," the father said,
according to the newspaper.
Self defence
It said he had never used a gun in self defence, but added:
"That doesn't mean I haven't been hijacked, attacked. As a family, we
value life much too much to produce guns at every opportunity we can use
them."
"I have been in positions where I can use a gun but we
have been brought up in a way that we value the lives of others very
highly," he said.
Prosecutors charged Pistorius with pre-meditated murder for
killing Steenkamp, saying the shooting followed an argument between the two.
Pistorius said he mistook the 29-year-old model for a home intruder, fired
shots at the door of his toilet and then discovered she was inside.
The family statement said: "Oscar Pistorius's family is
deeply concerned about the comments made by Oscar's father, Henke Pistorius, to
UK newspaper the Telegraph about the family using its weapons to defend
themselves against crime in South Africa, and especially about his comments
that the ANC government is not willing to protect white South Africans."
It also quoted Arnold Pistorius, the runner's uncle who has
taken on a spokesperson's role following Steenkamp's killing, as saying that
"the Pistorius family own weapons purely for sport and hunting
purposes."
That, however, contradicted Pistorius's own testimony to the
magistrate who freed him on bail.
In an affidavit, the athlete known as "Blade
Runner" for his carbon-fibre prosthetic running legs said he slept with
his 9mm handgun under his bed because "I have also been a victim of
violence and of burglaries before."
The South African Police Service's National Firearms Centre
said Pistorius registered the 9mm for self defence. Police issued him with his
gun license on 10 September 2010.
'Racist'
ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu said it "rejects with
contempt" the suggestion that the ANC government doesn't adequately
protect white South Africans against crime.
"Not only is this statement devoid of truth, it is also
racist," Mthembu said in a statement. "It is sad that he has chosen
to politicise a tragic incident that is still fresh in the minds of those
affected and the public."
The family's response to Henke Pistorius's comments was
issued by the reputation management firm, Vuma, it has hired to deal with the
media. The statement said "Henke's interview with the newspaper was
unapproved by our media liaison team."
Media reports have said Pistorius and his father were
estranged before Steenkamp's death. But the father was seen comforting the
sprinter when he sobbed during his bail hearing.
- AP
