Department denies 'preparing" prison cell for Oscar

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

The Correctional Services department has denied reports that it had already prepared a cell for paralympian Oscar Pistorius at the Kgosi Mampuru prison in Pretoria.

Department spokesperson, Mthunzi Mhaga says any insinuation that they have prepared a cell to incarcerate anyone who has not yet been sentenced to a jail term, is both malicious and irresponsible.

Eye Witness News reported that a cell had already been prepared for Pistorius at the prison, in the same section that housed Czech fugitive, Radovan Krejcir.

EWN said it had learnt from a correctional services official that the section was the most securely guarded section outside of the maximum security division of the prison.

According to the report, the section had six single cells and Krejcir was the only other inmate there -- because he was considered a high security risk.

Mhaga said Pistorius had not yet been sentenced and questioned how anyone could claim a cell had been prepared.

The paralympian will be sentenced on Tuesday.

Pistorius was convicted of culpable homicide for the Valentine's Day 2013 shooting of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in his Pretoria house