Sandile Memela , chief director for social cohesion at South Africa 's Department of Arts and Culture , noted amidst the Oscar Pistorius trial that there existed substantial differences between how media outlets reported on the murders of Reeva Steenkamp and Zanele Khumalo ; two South African models , respectively white and black , who had been murdered by their boyfriends under nearly identical circumstances . Memela asserted that the discrepancy between the media coverage of the Steenkamp and Khumala murders amounted to " structural racism " within South African society , and stated : " As a country we seem to have chosen to ignore the agony , pain and suffering of the Khumalo family for no other reason than that they are black . " On September 11 , 2014 , the South African news network SABC3 aired an investigative report which raised concerns around the “ Missing White Woman Syndrome ” ; where the death of Steenkamp was juxtaposed with the death of Zanele Khumalo
structural racism
Institutional racism
Missing white woman syndrome