Due to a power outage on 6 August, the lights were out at Lovebooks in Melville. Famous crime writer Deon Meyer and top investigative reporter Jacques Steenkamp were undeterred by the darkness as they debated writing crime facts and crime fiction.
Steenkamp, famous as the journalist who broke the story of the Griekwastad murders, spoke about writing crime based on fact. This was shortly after the release of his book The Griekwastad Murders: The crime that Shook South Africa.
Earlier this year, the Kimberley High court found a 17-year old boy guilty of murdering Griekwastad farmer Deon Steenkamp (44), his wife Christel (43) and their daughter Marthella (14). The boy had also raped Marthella. The family were shot dead on their farm Naauwhoek on 6 April 2012, and the killer was 15 years old at the time.
Meyer, who needs no introduction, shared the challenges of writing crime fiction, and told the audience why creating the story was different than reporting the actual facts.
“When I write a disturbing crime scene, I feel perturbed,” Meyer told Steenkamp.
“You were on the scene of those horrific murders, how did you cope with that?”
Steenkamp said that crime scenes are never easy to go to. “The photographs of the murdered girl in Griekwastad and the scene haunt me every day,” he said.
“She was so beautiful. It was tragic.”
Why, Meyer wondered, are people so consumed with interest for cases like the Griekwastad murders and the Oscar Pistorius trial?
“I think it’s because it’s real,” Steenkamp mused.
“Adding names and face to the Griekwastad murders made everything so real and palpable for me. And crimes like these disturb our social order. Our neural pathways are built on social networking and our ordered way of living, these trials disturb that.”
Meyer, who often works with the police researching for his novels, said that exposure to crime can be particularly brutal for the South African Police force.
“Policemen do this on a daily basis,” he said.
“So many of them are traumatised, and there’s not enough psychological support for them. And most of our police are very good. There are bad apples that give the force as a whole a bad name, but as someone who has worked closely with them, I can say they’re mostly hard-working and dedicated.”
Steenkamp said he envied Meyer. “In real life, crime does not make sense. We’re still not entirely sure what the story behind the Griekwastad murders is. In fiction, your story ties up neatly. Life does not work that way.”
*The 17-year old accused in the Griekwastad murder case was sentenced on 13 August. He received 20 years in jail for every murder committed, another 12 years for the rape and four years for lying to the police. Steenkamp reported that the Griekwastad murderer will celebrate his 18th birthday on 15 August, and might finally be identified if the court grants it.
