Premier Mokonyane there for Reeva's mom

GAUTENG premier Nomvula Mokonyane attended the third day of the Oscar Pistorius murder trial yesterday in support of Reeva Steenkamp's mother June.

"What she said, that she wanted to look Oscar in the eyes and find the truth, that spoke to me," Mokonyane said of Steenkamp's mother outside the Pretoria High Court after attending the morning's proceedings.

Mokonyane - accompanied by spokeswoman for the ANC Women's League in Gauteng Jacqui Mofokeng, and secretary of the ANCWL in the Tshwane region Gogo Ndlovana - sat beside two members of the Steenkamp family in court.

Before the start of proceedings, the premier could be heard quietly expressing sympathy on their loss.

Mokonyane, in a black skirt suit, and Mofokeng and Ndlovana in ANCWL colours, wore small stickers of Reeva Steenkamp's face on their lapels.

"It's important to show the world that we are not all focusing on the world-known individual called Oscar," she told reporters.

"We are also concerned about a woman who is unknown, who is sitting in Eastern Cape today - Reeva's mother. Fame and popularity cannot make Reeva's mother a forgotten individual. So I am here, take me as Reeva's mother."

During the morning tea break, Mokonyane spoke briefly to Michelle Burger, the first state witness.

She said the moment that touched her most was when defence advocate Barry Roux said Pistorius' life was at stake.

"He is sitting there. Reeva is six feet under," she said, calling the remark insensitive. - Marzanne van den Berg