Commission on Gender Equality slams media coverage of Reeva Steenkamp murder

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

The Commission on Gender Equality says its dismayed at the media coverage of the murder of PE model, Reeva Steenkamp.

Spokesperson, Jabu Baloyi, says the current media frenzy shifts attention from gender-based violence to focus on murder accused Oscar Pistorius.

He says the consequence of this style of reporting is to present Steenkamp's death as an unfortunate aberration, rather than part of a broader pattern of gender-based violence in South Africa.

"We want the media as a commission to take a neutral ground, because violence regardless whether she was an intruder or not, violence is violence, and she died in a brutal way, therefore we need to pay homage to her. We cannot paint Oscar as an innocent victim in the whole matter, although it is an allegation thus far" Baloyi said.

Twenty-nine-year-old Steenkamp will be laid to rest in a private service in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday.

Pistorius meanwhile will be making a bid for freedom when he applies for bail in the Pretoria magistrate's court.