Botha gets chop as top cop takes over

Graeme Hosken and Sipho Masombuko

WITHIN 24 hours of an admission by the investigating officer in the Reeva Steenkamp shooting that he had missed vital evidence and potentially contaminated the crime scene, he has been removed while South Africa's top detective has instead been assigned to the high-profile case.

It has also been established that the Steenkamp family has not been contacted or offered condolences by Oscar Pistorius, his family or their representatives a week after the Olympic athlete killed her in his home.

"There have been no attempts to contact us ... maybe they are caught up in their own matters, but they have not had the nerve to phone or try to speak to us," an uncle, Michael Steenkamp, said.