Were we duped by the media? (about Oscar?)

Much has been written about the Oscar Pistorius saga, and much will still be written. I have pretty much read all that can be read in the papers and magazines, and have been astonished by some of the reactions of the general public. It seems many of them have gone into what I would like to call, "Hansie-mode". Remember him? It appears that even if he were found guilty, there would be many who would forgive him. They would say, like Hansie, that the devil made him do it, or, we don't know what he went through, to make him do such a thing.

Why don't we step back for a moment and ask ourselves : Even if this whole thing never happened and he hadn't killed Reeva, was he a nice guy? We only hear of his "other/dark" side now, even though that information was out there all along. How much was withheld by the media, and others, to create this "hero" people have wanted to believe in? I read the papers every day and didn't know about his imprisonment for a night for having assaulted a 19 year old female in 2009. (It's possible I may have missed it) I didn't know that he had a thing for guns. I now discover he has applied for a further seven firearm licences.

I had read a short article about him threatening to break someone's legs. (ironic or what). His outburst on the track was another. I hadn't read about him almost shooting his friend in the foot until now. The most telling thing though, for me, was his own admission in a magazine interview by his sister, that he wrote down the names of people that had wronged him (such as writing about him in a bad light -add my name Oscar!), in a black book. That is scary. For me, that says more than all the other "things" combined. Especially for someone who believes so strongly, that he has a psalm tattooed on his back. It's a contradiction of his supposed belief, just like violence is.

Would people so readily offer their doubts about the state's case against him, if he were just some average citizen in some backwater suburb? In any event, it doesn't make much difference, as I believe he will be found not guilty of the charges he faces, or guilty of something lesser, that won't require jail time.

I say this because of what has already transpired. Before his bail hearing I thought the police would mess it up, not only because they're incompetent but because it's been stated that Oscar has friends high up in the police force. How much would it take (deposited in a bank account at a later date) to get someone like Hilton Botha to investigate the crime? Knowing that the whole world is watching, knowing that it is probably the most high profile case ever, how do you put someone like Hilton Botha in charge of investigation? He has nothing to lose, he can hardly make his career prospects worse, by already face murder charges himself. A perfect bribe, if it is one, because no-one expects any better from our police anyway! I do hope I am wrong, that the truth will come out without interference. I remember that rugby player, Bees Roux, that beat that policeman to death. R750 000 bought his freedom, and that was legally. With that, and all the other crap that happens in this country every day, how can I not be cynical?