Flowers for Reeva on her birthday

Port Elizabeth – The Steenkamp family commemorated Reeva’s birthday in a private ceremony in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday morning.

Reeva would have turned 32.

Reeva’s parents Barry and June, her sister Simone and four other family members gathered at the Hobie Beach in Summerstrand where they placed flowers in the ocean.

The model and law student was shot and killed by her boyfriend Oscar Pistorius on Valentine’s Day of 2013. He claimed to have mistaken her for an intruder.

At 10:30 the family gathered on the beach where they scattered Reeva’s ashes, but this time, they held bunches of red, yellow, pink and white roses.

They each took turns putting the flowers into the sea. The moment was captured by an international television crew.

As members of the family placed flowers in the sea, Barry stood watching the ocean, with his hands on his hips.

The family held each other and had a moment of silence before walking away, Barry and June left hand in hand.

Moments after the family had left the beach, the roses were washed out at sea.

Pistorius is due to be released from the Kgosi Mapuru II Prison on Friday, after 10 months in prison. He will serve the rest of his sentence under house arrest.

The National Prosecuting Authority has filed court papers to appeal the Paralympian’s culpable homicide conviction.

Lubabalo Ngcukana, City Press