Arguably the most notorious athlete to come out of South Africa in the past few years, the country was shocked when it came out that he had shot and killed his then-girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in their joint home on Valentine's Day 2013 - and now, less than a year after his sentence, it seems it's time for Oscar Pistorius' parole.

The sprinter's close family has said to the press that they expect Oscar Pistorius' parole to see the 28 year-old athlete released from prison next August, even though he was sentenced in October to five years over the culpable homicide (manslaughter in U.S. terms) of his girlfriend Steenkamp.

CNN reports that Oscar Pistorius' parole could happen by the end of August, in the middle of the winter in the southern hemisphere, after having been convicted for the death of his girlfriend of years - and now, a parole board from South Africa's Department of Correctional Services will be recommending his release.

According to The Independent, family members of the Paralympics gold medalist have said that Oscar Pistorius' parole will see the athlete's release next August, after authorities from the South African penitentiary system recommended that the 28 year-old serves the minimum prison time after killing his girlfriend.

Having achieved athletic superstardom in his native country, the case against Pistorius became a national event in the African nation, in a case that was often compared to the 90's O.J. Simpson in the United States, as a national athletic hero fell from grace over a controversial murder case.

As Oscar Pistorius' parole is announced, Steenkamp's parents have publicly stated that his current time in prison isn't enough for having taken a life, according to BBC.

The closely followed case saw Pistorius admitting to having shot and killed Steenkamp, although he maintained that he didn't know it was her, as he heard noises in the bathroom and shot her multiple times, believing her to be an intruder - until finally realizing it was his girlfriend.

There is no official date for Oscar Pistorius' parole as of yet.