Oscar Pistorius is reportedly refusing to eat prison food for fear of being poisoned by other inmates.
The former Olympic athlete, who is serving a five-year jail term for shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, is instead subsisting off canned food, The Times reported.
The 28-year-old is said to be consuming a diet of tinned spicy vegetables, known as chakalaka, which he purchases from the on-site shop at Kgosi Mampuru prison in Pretoria.
Pistorius' limited food intake has caused him to lose weight to the point that his prosthetic legs no longer fit properly.
His paranoid behaviour allegedly follows a series of death threats made toward him, according to the newspaper’s South African correspondent, who cited the country’s You magazine.
Another prisoner appeared to confirm that Pistorius, who is in a single cell, is at risk, telling the magazine: "Oscar never walks around without a guard, for example. He never mingles with other inmates."
But the prisoner said that Pistorius is actually having an easier ride because of this: "He doesn’t know what it’s really like in jail. You feel it only when you’re in my section – here where people fight and stab one another."
Brian Webber, Pistorius' lawyer, told The Times that Pistorius has indeed lost weight but he was unaware of any death threats.
Oscar Pistorius: The sentencing in pictures
Show all 53
Pistorius has always maintained that he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder when he shot her four times on Valentine’s Day 2013. He was cleared of murder but found guilty of culpable homicide.
Last month it was revealed that Pistorius has been upgraded from a category B to a category A prisoner, meaning that he now enjoys more privileges, such as more frequent visits. The decision was made on the basis that he poses little threat to security.
It is expected that he will be released in August to spend the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
Next week Pistorius' lawyers will challenge a judge’s decision allowing prosecutors to attempt to upgrade the runner's conviction to murder.
His case will return to court on 13 March, after Judge Thokozile Masipa granted prosecutors permission in December to take the case to South Africa’s Court of Appeal.
If the Supreme Court of Appeal is persuaded by prosecutors and finds that Pistorius should have been found guilty of murder, he faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.
A date has not been set for any Supreme Court appeal by the prosecution.
Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment.
The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates.
Comments
Share your thoughts and debate the big issues
About The Independent commenting
Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment.
The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates.
Delete Comment
Report Comment
Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines.
You can find our Community Guidelines in full here.
Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines.
You can find our Community Guidelines in full here.