Convicted murderer Oscar Pistorius is going to court to try and force authorities in South Africa to hold a parole hearing for him.
The Paralympic gold medallist is currently in prison for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on valentines day in 2013.
Pistorius shot Ms Steenkamp dead, when he fired four times through a locked toilet door.
He has always said that he mistook her for a burglar at his home in Pretoria.
At the heart of this is a disagreement about the start date of Pistorius’ prison sentence.
In 2015, the Supreme Court of Appeal sentenced him to 13 years and five months for the murder of Ms Steenkamp – overturning a previous more lenient punishment for culpable homicide.
Last year that same court ruled that his current term should be backdated to October 2014, when he was initially sentenced for the lesser charge.
Pistorius argues that this means he became eligible for parole in February 2021 and is taking authorities to court to force them to hold his parole hearing.
But the prison where he is being held argues Pistorius is only eligible for parole in March 2023, and says the court of appeal has given contradictory rulings.
The Department of Correctional Services spokesperson says it is “seeking a clarification on the minimum detention period for Mr Pistorius”.
