The statement came after Pistorius senior was quoted by both the The Telegraph and Mirror newspapers as saying the family owns handguns for self-defense. “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.”
Oscar Pistorius had a police license for the 9 mm pistol with which he shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine’s Day.
The ANC said “not only is this statement devoid of truth, it is also racist. 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. This tragic incident has affected two families that are still trying to come to terms with what happened and this latest racist slur is not assisting these families. We think it is ill-advisable for anyone to start apportioning undue blame.
“The ANC believes that the Pistorius and Steenkamp matter is in the capable hands of our competent courts who are expected to handle the matter objectively and in accordance with our laws. Any speculation can only prejudice the case. We welcome the statement of the Pistorius family that distances Oscar and his family from the statement made by Henke Pistorius. The ANC believes that this is a difficult period that both families are going through.
“We call on South Africans to desist from wild and prejudiced speculation. Let us give our courts a chance to deal with this matter,” the statement reads.