Nearly two years after his release from prison, Oscar Pistorius has become virtually invisible in his own hometown of Pretoria.
Once known as the “Blade Runner” and a global sporting hero, Pistorius is now rarely seen in public and keeps a low profile as he serves the remainder of his sentence under correctional supervision.
Locals, according to The Athletic, say that sightings of the 38-year-old are infrequent.
One Pretoria resident even told local media: “You wouldn’t know he lives here – he keeps to himself, he doesn’t come out much.”
Pistorius was released in January 2024 after serving more than eight years behind bars for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine’s Day in 2013.
The killing shocked South Africa and the wider world, transforming Pistorius from an international icon to one of the country’s most notorious figures.
While some high-profile former inmates attempt to rebuild their reputations, Pistorius has avoided the spotlight since leaving Atteridgeville Correctional Centre.
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He is said to be living quietly with relatives, focusing on religious study and personal rehabilitation, as part of his parole conditions.
Legal restrictions also limit his ability to speak publicly about the case or profit from his story, which may partly explain his disappearance from public life.
Friends have told reporters that Pistorius has deliberately chosen not to re-enter the public eye, preferring privacy to publicity.
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Oscar Pistorius was released on parole back in January 2024
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GETTYThat invisibility has provoked mixed reactions. For some South Africans, the silence is a welcome sign of remorse and a chance for the country to move forward. For others, it leaves a sense of unfinished business.
June Steenkamp, Reeva’s mother, has previously spoken about wanting to see more evidence of genuine rehabilitation, though she has not commented recently on Pistorius’s life after prison.
“What I want is for him to tell the truth,” she said ahead of his release last year.
“I do not believe he has been completely honest about what happened that night.”
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Oscar Pistorius lives a low-key life following his release from prison in January 2024 | GETTY
In Pretoria, his old haunts have moved on. Restaurants where he once dined and gyms where he trained report that he no longer visits.
For a man who once dominated global headlines, his absence from public spaces is striking.
Amid his disappearance, his sporting legacy remains under scrutiny.
He remains one of South Africa’s most successful Paralympians, with six gold medals and a history-making appearance in the 2012 Olympics, but that sporting legacy is forever overshadowed by the events of 2013.
As South Africa grapples with its ongoing crisis of gender-based violence, campaigners argue that Pistorius’s case remains a powerful cautionary tale.
For now, though, the man once hailed as a national hero is living quietly, far from the glare of public attention.