OJ Simpson is to America as Oscar Pistorius is to South Africa. 

South Africa is bracing itself for arguably their biggest trial in the last century as Olympian and Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius is accused of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Feb. 14, 2013. (Here is Flotrack’s timeline of that fateful night.) He also faces charges of illegal possession of ammunition and two counts of discharging a firearm in public. 

Pistorius claims that it was not premeditated. He will argue that he confused his girlfriend with a home invader and fired his gun in self-defense. He has also noted that he was not wearing his prosthetic legs at the time of the shooting. 

Forensics play a key role in the case as shot angles and blood spatters will be examined to see if they coincide with Pistorius’ case. If found guilty, the Olympian could face a life sentence, which in South Africa would be the equivalent of 25 years in prison. He could still see jail time if found guilty on other charges.  

On March 1, Oscar’s uncle Arnold issued the following statement declaring the family will not be commenting on media reports as the trial unfolds.

“With less than two days before the commencement of Oscar’s criminal trial, the family as well as the legal team, will not be distracted by extraneous issues that have no bearing on, or relevance to, the legal process that must now be allowed to unfold. We will not be commenting on any media reports, nor will we be engaging in the press with any issues that belong in court. The time for public commentary is over. The focus is now entirely on a very serious trial that is set to start this Monday. We love Oscar, and believe in him, and will be standing by him throughout the coming trial.”

A 24-hour news channel has been launched to provide up-to-the-minute updates and analysis on the case. Access to the live stream may be purchased from DStv for a $20 fee. You can also follow the channel’s Twitter account for updates. 

The trial is expected to begin at 3 a.m. Eastern Time.