eNCA says it won't show viewers the photographs of the dead Reeva Steenkamp; SABC News shows blurred images; Sky News says 'gruesome' images not nice.

eNCA (DStv 403) on Wednesday says the TV news channel will not show viewers the gruesome and mutilated police photographs of a dead, bullet-wound filled Reeva Steenkamp while SABC News (DStv 404) showed viewers the images blurred with a warning, and Sky News (DStv 402) said the gruesome images are "not nice".

TV channels and media in South Africa who want to, can now show 6 shocking, selected police photographs that form part of the submitted evidence in the sensational Oscar Pistorius trial, previously banned by Judge Thokozile Masipa.

Reeva Steenkamp's parents, June and Barry Steenkamp, had the grim task of going through the sets of photographs and choose the 6 they want to share with the media and the public.

On Wednesday Judge Thokozile Masipa said media that wants to, can show the 6 released images, after Reeva Steenkamp's family like her father Barry Steenkamp on Tuesday asked for people to see the images to understand the excruciating pain her parents and family are experiencing daily.

"These photographs happen to be part of the evidence which is a public record," said Judge Thokozile Masipa.

"Initially not to make the photographs public was to protect the integrity of the family of the deceased. If the family of the deceased now feels that that protection is no longer necessary, it's not for me to interfere with that decision. For that reason I shall grant the request," said Judge Thokozile Masipa.


eNCA on Wednesday evening told viewers that "eNCA has the photographs but has decided not to show them on air. The channel does not believe that it is in the public interest to broadcast the images."


On Wednesday evening Sky News' Jeremy Thompson anchoring from outside the North Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg court this week, told viewers that "these pictures, basically restricted before, are basically close-ups of Reeva Steenkamp, with the bullet wounds. And they're gruesome pictures."

"We've seen them and I wouldn't want most people to see them. They're not nice," Jeremy Thompson said.


SABC News on Wednesday warned viewers that "some of the following visuals may upset sensitive viewers" in an excellent summary story of the day's court proceedings that was filed by Chriselda Lewis.

The warning likely also had to do with showing video of Oscar Pistorius waddling around on his stumps in court - the filed SABC News story showed some of the jaw-dropping scenes inside the court room on Wednesday when Reeve Steenkamp's killer removed his prosthetic legs.

In April 2014 both eNCA and the Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel - produced by Combined Artistic Productions on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform - showed viewers one of the highly disturbing images of a bloodied Reeva Steenkamp's head wound without any prior warning to viewers.

eNCA blamed the Combined Artistic Productions Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel which was providing the channel feed it was using.

Sky News, in a filed and edited story included the images on the same day, but blurred it.

In May 2013 Sky News showed viewers some of the blood-smeared rooms inside Oscar Pistorius' home.

BREAKING. With duelling, highly sensational court trials - Oscar! Dewani! - eNCA, SABC News, ANN7 struggle to bring all the news.

With breathless live reporting and multiple live crossings, 24-hour TV news channels, from Sky News (DStv 402) and eNCA (DStv 403) to SABC News (DStv 404) and ANN7 (DStv 405) are having a veritable field day and are struggling to keep up with the sensational Oscar Pistorius murder trial in Pretoria and the Shrien Dewani murder trial in Cape Town.

All of the channels are bringing viewers insta-reaction and insta-coverage of both over-the-top, sensational court cases happening simultaneously in Pretoria's North Gauteng High Court and Cape Town's Western Cape High Court, with compelling news and reporting available from both cases.

On Sky News, Jeremy Thompson back in South Africa outside the court room, and Alex Crawford inside the court building is reporting on Oscar Pistorius on his stumps in the sensational court case.

On eNCA the channel ran the Oscar Pistorius court room testimony, as did SABC News and ANN7.

SABC News cut to Chriselda Lewis for commentary and reporting on Oscar Pistorius; eNCA went to Cathy Mohlahlana outside the Pretoria courtroom.

eNCA experiencing broadcasting problems just before 13:00 and threw to Andrew Barnes, Leigh-Ann Jansen and Olly Barratt in Cape Town covering the sensational Shrien Dewani murder trial.

ANN7 has Kevin Brandt in Cape Town reporting on the Shrien Dewani story, and Michael Appel reporting from the Oscar Pistorius murder trial in the North Gauteng High Court.

Sky News adds extensive Oscar Pistorius murder trial coverage with a special, daily Pistorius Trial review programme at 23:30 from Monday.

Sky News (DStv 402) will start with extensive coverage of the Oscar Pistorius murder trial on Monday 3 March and has added a daily, special Pistorius Trial review programme which will start on Monday at 23:30 (South African time).

From Monday Sky News will be reporting live from the Oscar Pistorius court case from the North Gauteng High Court in South Africa.

Sky News' Jeremy Thompson has flown from London to Pretoria and and will present the latest news and developments to a global audience, as well as interview a number of guests, including regular commentary from a South African lawyer and a forensic expert.

Alex Crawford, special correspondent; Martin Brunt, crime correspondent; and Emma Hurd as foreign correspondent will all join Jeremy Thompson in Pretoria and Alex Crawford will be reporting live from the Oscar Pistorius courtroom.

Sky News has created a 3D layout of the Oscar Pistorius apartment, there will be a live feed from a stenographer, a Twitter stream from the Sky News correspondents covering the murder trial, extensive image galleries and infographics on South Africa's legal system.

Sky News is also adding a live stream of the Oscar Pistorius trial on the Sky News channel on YouTube.

"Sky News has a strong history of delivering must-see coverage of courtroom trials," says John Ryley, the head of Sky News in a statement.

"Our special nightly programme will offer a succinct review of the day. Sky News customers will have every aspect of the trial available to them at their fingertips," says John Ryley.

Stedman Graham, Richard Engel, Lester Holt, Jeremy Thompson, Jon Sopel, Komla Dumor in South Africa after Nelson Mandela's death.

Blink and you'll have missed him, but Stedman Graham, the partner of Oprah Winfrey showed up on South Africa television on Sunday in the church service broadcast on SABC1 where president Jacob Zuma addressed the South African nation following the death of Nelson Mandela.

Stedman Graham co-incidentally happened to be in South Africa when Nelson Mandela died - he arrived here a while ago to do a city-by-city tour through South Africa to discuss his Identity Leadership concept.

Stedman Graham could be seen sitting just behind and to the side of Mamma Winnie Madikizela-Mandela at the Bryanston Methodist Church in Johannesburg on Sunday morning.

Stedman Graham will likely remain in South Africa, and will most likely be joined by Oprah Winfrey in attending the memorial service and funeral of Nelson Mandela later this coming week.

Other international TV notables as part of the foreign TV correspondent influx who are now in South Africa due to Nelson Mandela's death include Sky News' (DStv 402) Jeremy Thompson who is already anchoring Nelson Mandela coverage.

Sky News' Stuart Ramsay has also travelled to South Africa and has gone to Qunu in the Eastern Cape to report from there. Of course Sky News Alex Crawford and Emma Hurd who are helping out, are based here.

South Africa's David McKenzie, CNN International's (DStv 401) correspondent in China has also returned home on Saturday and will be filing stories and covering Nelson Mandela news from South Africa during the upcoming week.

From CNN International coming to South Africa to report on Nelson Mandela's death and funeral week is Christiane Amanpour and Anderson Cooper, with Isha Sesay flying in, as well as Arwa Damon and even Chris Cuomo.

Together with Errol Barnett, Robyn Curnow and David McKenzie, this gives CNN International the biggest correspondent reach within South Africa all dedicated to covering all angles and aspects of the Nelson Mandela story.

Travers Andrews is South Africa and based in Cape Town and is covering the news for CCTV News (DStv 409 / StarSat 403).

NBC News' chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel is here in South Africa as well, as is Lester Holt, who reported and anchored on Saturday night for the American newscast from Soweto. Brian Williams, the anchor of NBC Nightly News which can be seen on CNBC Africa (DStv 410) is on his way to South Africa and will anchor Tuesday and Wednesday's news bulletins from Pretoria.

From BBC World News (StarSat 400 / DStv 400) now in South Africa are Komla Dumor and Jon Sopel. Ros Atkins flew in last week meaning to go to Lesotho. When Nelson Mandela died he made a U-turn back to Soweto and is still here for the upcoming week.

ABC News in America has Alex Marquardt and Byron Pitts reporting from South Africa on Nelson Mandela.

Greg Palkot, the senior foreign affairs correspondent for Fox News Channel (StarSat 405), usually based in London, is in South Africa.

Al Jazeera (StarSat 401 / DStv 406) dispatched Mike Hanna and Jonah Hull to South Africa. Mike Hanna covered South Africa as a CNN International journalist during apartheid and the post-apartheid era. Jonah Hull is Al Jazeera's correspondent in London.

CBS News now has Allen Pizzey in Johannesburg, reporting for the CBS Evening News (which can be seen on Sky News.

Debora Patta from South Africa, reported for the CBS Evening News for the third night in a row from Johannesburg.

Sky News anchor Jeremy Thompson arrives in South Africa following the death of Nelson Mandela, reporting from Vilakazi Street.

Sky News (DStv 402) anchor Jeremy Thompson has arrived in South Africa following the death of Nelson Mandela and is now reporting from Vilakazi Street in Soweto.

Jeremy Thompson has covered South Africa and the political situation and changes in the country for decades for Sky News and he made several trips to South Africa over the years, and have met and interviewed Nelson Mandela several times.

"Everybody here, like myself, many of the visiting journalists to this country, probably has their own personal memories of Nelson Mandela," Jeremy Thompson told Sky News viewers on Saturday evening when he reported for the Sky News at 5 broadcast from Vilakazi Street.

"For many of us journalists who worked here during the time that he came out of prison, and then the years that led to him becoming president of this country, we'll remember what an extraordinary man he was and how he - despite the weight of this country on his shoulders -  he always seemed to have time for a laugh and a joke with us and remembered our names," said Jeremy Thompson.

Besides Jeremy Thompson in South Africa, Alex Crawford has been covering reaction and the news for Sky News following the death of Nelson Mandela since Thursday night. The former Sky Newser and now freelancer Emma Hurd in Johannesburg is also helping out with reports.