Media sets up camp at Pistorius court

2013-02-21 08:40

Members of the media at the Pretoria Magistrate's Court. (@JacqueSteenkamp, Twitter)

Pretoria - Journalists erected several small tents and gazebos outside the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Thursday morning, as murder accused paralympian Oscar Pistorius prepared for third day of his bail application.

Video cameras were placed at three entrances to the court, in anticipation of recording Pistorius and his relatives as they arrived.

At the pedestrians' entrance to the court, two queues kept growing ahead of the doors being opened. One queue was for journalists and the second was for others attending court.

Eight outside broadcast vans were parked near the court's entrance on Bosman Street.

Due to the widespread media interest in the Pistorius case globally, on Wednesday the justice department allocated another court room as an "overflow area".

The room was supposed to have video and audio links to court C, where Pistorius was appearing, but the technicians failed to make the connections.

Many journalists spent the day in that room alongside a few members of the public.

Later on Wednesday, spokesperson for the justice department Lulama Luti issued a statement saying technicians would "work throughout the night" to ensure there would be a live link in the overflow area on Thursday.

Court proceedings would start at 11:00, after a media accreditation process, said Luti.

Pistorius was arrested last week after his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead at his home in the upmarket Silver Woods country estate in Pretoria.

He was charged with murder on Friday.

Visit News24's Oscar Pistorius Special Report.

- SAPA