The mother of Reeva Steenkamp, the South African model tragically killed by former Olympic and Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius, has issued a chilling warning to his new girlfriend: “He still has a problem with anger.”
June Steenkamp, 78, opened up to The Sun on Sunday about her concerns after hearing that Pistorius, now 38, has reportedly found love again. The disgraced athlete was convicted in 2014 for the Valentine’s Day 2013 shooting death of Reeva, a 29-year-old model and law graduate, at his home in Pretoria, South Africa.
Released from prison in January and placed on strict parole, Pistorius is now dating 33-year-old business consultant Rita Greyling, a long-time family friend from Wakkerstroom, Mpumalanga, according to the South African publication Netwerk24. While details of their relationship have been kept private, sources close to the couple confirmed the romance.
June, heartbroken over her daughter’s death, expressed her fears for Rita. “I don’t know how she doesn’t see the red flags,” she said. “He hasn’t dealt with his anger problems. While he was in jail, he was supposed to go through anger management, but I know it didn’t happen.”
June revealed that she and her husband, Barry, had intervened in the past to block Pistorius’s release from prison twice, fearing he was still a danger. Now, even after his release, she remains deeply concerned. “Reeva knew him for only three months, and she was dead,” June said, adding that Pistorius has never confessed to deliberately killing her daughter.
June and Barry have long believed Reeva was killed in a fit of rage after an argument. At his trial, Pistorius claimed he mistook her for a burglar hiding in his bathroom and fired shots through the door. However, the Steenkamps insist she was deliberately killed while seeking refuge.
Originally sentenced to five years for culpable homicide, Pistorius’s punishment was increased after prosecutors appealed. He eventually received 13 years and five months in prison but only served nine before being released on parole. Today, Pistorius maintains he killed Reeva by mistake.
Since leaving prison, Pistorius has kept a low profile, living at his uncle’s heavily fortified home in the upscale Waterkloof suburb of Pretoria. The compound is equipped with armed guards, electronic security, and attack dogs. According to sources, Pistorius avoids public places like bars and restaurants and is slowly trying to reintegrate into society, relying on the support of family friends.
Under the terms of his parole, which lasts until 2029, Pistorius must follow strict rules. Authorities can check on him at any time, test him for drugs and alcohol, and monitor his movements. He cannot leave the immediate area without police approval and is prohibited from contacting Reeva’s family.
June, who founded the Reeva Steenkamp Foundation to fight against the abuse of women and children, said her concerns aren’t personal but rooted in caution. “It’s not painful for me that he’s with someone new. I’m just worried about her,” she explained.
Pistorius, once a global star known as the “Blade Runner” for competing in the 2012 Olympics as the first double amputee, has since faded from the spotlight. When seen in public earlier this year, his appearance had changed dramatically—he looked thinner, with completely gray hair and a clean-shaven face.
For now, Pistorius remains under watchful eyes, living a life far removed from the fame he once enjoyed. But for June Steenkamp, the scars of losing her daughter will never heal, and her warning to Pistorius’s new girlfriend is clear: beware of the danger he may still pose.
