By Tiso Black Star Group DIGITAL
The sentencing of Oscar Pistorius to six years in prison was greeted with disbelief‚ relief‚ rage and racism in 140 – or more – characters on Twitter.
Judge Thokozile Masipa was sharply criticised by many on the social media platform for being too lenient‚ in a heated online debate that quickly brought to the surface deep divisions around race in a post-apartheid South Africa.
Television personality Piers Morgan described the sentence as a “joke”. Had the Paralympian been black and unknown‚ he argued‚ his sentence would have been a lot harsher.
“If #Pistorius was black & non-famous‚ he’d have got life imprisonment. Saved by celebrity status‚” he said.
>https://twitter.com/piersmorgan/status/750612808287580160Magazine publisher Jane Raphaely accused Judge Masipa of being biased. “Judgment again clearly influenced by pity and sympathy — for Oscar not Reeva. Shame on you‚ Judge Masipa.”
>https://twitter.com/JaneRaphaely/status/750610453177462784A user with the name ?@blackpresidante questioned how robbers ended up being sentenced to 15 years while a convicted murderer got just six.
“Remember the two guys who robbed Vuyo Mvoko live on Tv. They were sentenced to 15 years but #OscarPistorius gets 6 for a brutal murder.”
>https://twitter.com/blackpresidante/status/750611074777505792Mandla Mngomezulu ?raised the same example‚ suggesting the lesser sentence was due to “white privilege”.
>https://twitter.com/Mandla_M_/status/750609812585676800Richard Mahogany took time to reflect on Reeva’s parents‚ and their pain. “I shed a tear for Reeva’s parents. Does Masipa have children? Why must my child get killed for using the bathroom? Huh? Why?”
>https://twitter.com/Rich_Mahog/status/750613762407862272There was scant pity‚ immediately after the six-year sentence was announced‚ for Pretorius whose legal team had argued against a lengthly teerm of imprisonment‚ suggesting he would be a burden to taxpayers.
Suburban mom and author ?@AlternateRowan said: “She wouldn’t have wanted me to spend life in prison“. Well‚ we don’t know what she’d want because YOU MURDERED HER. #Pistorius”
>https://twitter.com/AlternateRowan/status/750614842747326469Television journalist Devi Sankaree Govender ?wondered if the sentence was sending out the wrong message: “Six years? For murder? The majority of women murdered in SA by men they know. #OscarPistorious #NotGoodEnough #WrongMessage.”
>https://twitter.com/Devi_HQ/status/750612124758642688Tsholo ?asked‚ “Wait...so will Oscar be released before Jub Jub??”
>https://twitter.com/birrdie_t/status/750609803538472960 
Judge and justice given stick on Twitter after Oscar sentenced
The sentencing of Oscar Pistorius to six years in prison was greeted with disbelief‚ relief‚ rage and racism in 140 – or more – characters on Twitter.
Judge Thokozile Masipa was sharply criticised by many on the social media platform for being too lenient‚ in a heated online debate that quickly brought to the surface deep divisions around race in a post-apartheid South Africa.
Television personality Piers Morgan described the sentence as a “joke”. Had the Paralympian been black and unknown‚ he argued‚ his sentence would have been a lot harsher.
“If #Pistorius was black & non-famous‚ he’d have got life imprisonment. Saved by celebrity status‚” he said.
Magazine publisher Jane Raphaely accused Judge Masipa of being biased. “Judgment again clearly influenced by pity and sympathy — for Oscar not Reeva. Shame on you‚ Judge Masipa.”
A user with the name ?@blackpresidante questioned how robbers ended up being sentenced to 15 years while a convicted murderer got just six.
“Remember the two guys who robbed Vuyo Mvoko live on Tv. They were sentenced to 15 years but #OscarPistorius gets 6 for a brutal murder.”
Mandla Mngomezulu ?raised the same example‚ suggesting the lesser sentence was due to “white privilege”.
Richard Mahogany took time to reflect on Reeva’s parents‚ and their pain. “I shed a tear for Reeva’s parents. Does Masipa have children? Why must my child get killed for using the bathroom? Huh? Why?”
There was scant pity‚ immediately after the six-year sentence was announced‚ for Pretorius whose legal team had argued against a lengthly teerm of imprisonment‚ suggesting he would be a burden to taxpayers.
Suburban mom and author ?@AlternateRowan said: “She wouldn’t have wanted me to spend life in prison“. Well‚ we don’t know what she’d want because YOU MURDERED HER. #Pistorius”
Television journalist Devi Sankaree Govender ?wondered if the sentence was sending out the wrong message: “Six years? For murder? The majority of women murdered in SA by men they know. #OscarPistorious #NotGoodEnough #WrongMessage.”
Tsholo ?asked‚ “Wait...so will Oscar be released before Jub Jub??”
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