Pistorius' Fate is in her hands come October 13

 

Meet one woman who has Oscar Pistorius' Fate in her hands. His sentencing starts on October 13, the judge said after granting him bail. 

 In the opening days of the Oscar Pistorius murder trial, a journalist's laptop starting making noise near the back of the court. 

"What is that?" came a voice, gentle but firm, from the judge's bench."I'm sorry, my lady," a foreign journalist stammered over the loud American-accented announcement issuing from her computer, declaring that it had found viruses and was beginning a scan.

"Stand up, please," the judge said.

Struggling to silence her computer, the journalist complied as a hush fell over the court.

She repeated her apology, explaining that new software had been installed on her computer and she was closing it down.

The judge regarded the journalist silently, a schoolmistress displeased with a naughty child, as everyone in court looked on.

A long, agonizing moment ticked by. 

"You may sit down," the judge instructed the journalist.Every hand in court instantly reached for a laptop or phone to make sure it was on silent.

The judge had never raised her voice.

Her name is Thokozile Matilda Masipa, and she is the woman who has decided the fate of Oscar Pistorius. She was the "my lady" all the witnesses addressed when testifying, even though they were normally answering questions from male lawyers. 

A diminutive figure who moves slowly due to arthritis, Masipa was been the still, small center of the trial, calmly taking notes or watching unruffled, chin resting on her folded hands, as lawyers preened, witnesses stammered and the defendant wept. 

Now that's a Role model.