Free Republic

Double-amputee Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius was granted parole Friday, 10 years after shooting his girlfriend through a toilet door at his home in South Africa in a killing that jolted the world. Department of Corrections spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said Pistorius would be released from prison on Jan. 5. Pistorius, who turned 37 this week, has been in jail since late 2014 for the Valentine’s Day 2013 killing of model Reeva Steenkamp, although he was released for a period of house arrest in 2015 while one of the numerous appeals in his case was heard....

Graca Machel, the human rights activist and wife of Nelson Mandela, has warned that South Africa is an “angry nation” teetering on the brink of “something very dangerous” if extreme levels of violence in the country are not addressed. ... Mrs Machel was speaking at the memorial service on Wednesday of Mido Macia, a 27-year-old taxi driver who died in custody after he was tied to the back of a police van and dragged for 500 metres by officers, apparently for arguing over a traffic infringement. The death of Mr Macia came after other recent examples of police brutality, including...

Hours before the most romantic day of the year, Oscar Pistorius' model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp tweeted: "What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow??? #getexcited #ValentinesDay". Her excitement for the big day was palpable on her Twitter feed. Replying to one response she tweeted: "That sounds amazing! Wow that's what it's all about! It should be a day of love for everyone :) may it be blessed!"