Media not allowed to speak to legal team
Journalists were asked not to speak to the judge or the prosecution teams in the High Court in Pretoria on Monday ahead of the murder-trial of paralympian Oscar Pistorius.
Lulama Luti, spokeswoman for the Office of the Chief Justice, told media not to speak to them and ordered reporters not to take pictures of the courtroom with cellphones or tablets.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Nathi Ncube, addressing media in the public gallery, said they would not discuss the merits of the case.
Pistorius, 27, is accused of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his Pretoria home last year. He faces charges of premeditated murder and contravening the Firearms Control Act in a trial which is expected to last at least three weeks.
June Steenkamp, mother of Reeva, glanced over at the Pistorius family when they walked into the courtroom.
The trial was due to begin at 10am.
The proceedings in the wood-panelled courtroom will be broadcast live on television and radio, with the initial indictment listing 107 witnesses to testify for the State.
- Sapa