Oscar Pistorius in performance of his life

Photograph: PictureNet / Barcroft Media

As someone born in South Africa and who spent the first 40 years of my life living there,  I think I have some insight into how this will all play out on the world stage. The spotlight will no doubt fall upon Oscar and his defense team, but it will also fall upon the country and its horrific and violent daily crime that affects all South Africans, no matter what their race.

Even the small minority, some who are very wealthy and can afford expensive security and protection, just like Oscar, are not immune to this blight. But it's the very poor who suffer the most. Those who arrive home to find that their shack has been carted away - with all their worldly goods inside, or to find their child has been attacked, raped and murdered.  This is the reality of daily life in the South Africa that seemingly has "everything going for it" and is, in the words heard most frequently from South Africans, that it is "Still the best place to live in the world!" 

Piers Morgan interviewed some South Africans last night on his program about this crime scourge and it was amazing to me that people still don't believe this to be true.  Even after Alan Dershowitz explained how this level of crime and fear is the norm in SA and not the exception, some of his guests still poo-pooed it as nonsense. All I can suggest to them is that they subscribe to a few credible online SA media outlets for a few days to see what actually happens there all the time.

This trial might even make South Africans take stock of what an utterly unnatural lifestyle they live.  Whether or not Mr Pistorius intended to shoot his beautiful girlfriend with intent, the fact remains that anyone can fall prey to what happened to Oscar. It almost happened to me, or easily could have.

I awoke one night to hear noises and thought I saw movement in a section of my home that I could see from my bedroom window and balcony. I was at home alone with two very small children and I was simply terrified, in spite of the electric security fence on top of an 8 foot wall surrounding my house.  Neighbors had been hijacked and shot on my street and so I wasn't taking any chances. I grabbed the gun we kept up high in the closet in our bedroom, and readied it to defend my life and those of my children. Adrenaline pumping and fear in my heart, I waited to see if anything was going to happen. I was squeezing the gun gently to activate the red laser dot to enable me to shoot straight and I accidentally discharged the firearm.  Luckily there was no one on the property, and the bullet went into the swimming pool, but I was shaken for days afterwards and struggled to sleep. That is how easily this can happen to anyone living in these hideous conditions. I was not going to wait until a gang would descend upon me and deliver unspeakable acts of horror and violence on me and my children.  And I had both my legs intact.

I am often saddened that South Africans insist on buying into the lie that it is still the best place to be and the best lifestyle in the world.  How can that possibly be?  I think I have the answer.....
South Africans are incredibly proud of what has been accomplished there in the last 25 years and  believe deeply that things can be great and wonderful, and often won't hear anything about what the reality continues to be.  And yes, things can be great and wonderful, but they are few and very far between. The wealthy and not so wealthy, actively cocoon themselves in a bubble of wellbeing, telling themselves repeatedly that everything will be fine and is fine, and try valiantly to live by that. They live behind massive walls and electronic gates and electric wires on high walls, cosset their children at expensive private schools to continue the "great colonial lifestyle" and look out from their expensive imported cars at the millions with no work or future, that overflow the streets everywhere.

They put up with the most appalling service, sky-high costs of living and food, lack of regular basic necessities like water and electricity, very poor public education, poor internet service and blatant corruption and theft - on a daily basis. And the never ending violent crime, that has not changed or improved in the last quarter century.

I found that when I left SA and travelled to a civilized country, I went into a funk when I got back there, as the reality was so stark and depressing.  But like a lobster in a slowly boiling pot, I quickly got used to it again.

So when they get a superstar up on the international stage like Oscar, they rally even harder. But the conflict I am hearing and seeing there right now, is "was his behavior justified?" or " Is this a true reflection of what South Africans experience every day?" The answer has to be a resounding - yes.

Maybe in a strange way - this trial will bring forth a change for SA - one that is a safer, more gentle society that benefits everyone.