Oscar Pistorius was scheduled to be released from prison for killing Reeva Steenkamp on Aug. 21 and now, reports are coming in that his freedom will have to be delayed.

"The last-minute move to deny Pistorius parole, announced by South Africa's justice minister Michael Masutha, 'shocked and disappointed' the 28-year-old runner's relatives as they prepared for his homecoming," said Daily Mail.

But the postponement of Oscar Pistorius' release might have been received as a post-birthday gift by Reeva Steenkamp's family as the model would have turned 32 on Aug. 19.

The Blade Runner was sentenced to five years in prison in October last year for the death of Reeva Steenkamp. Instead of murder, the judge convicted him for culpable homicide. Under South African law, an inmate has to serve one-sixth of his sentence before he's liable for parole.

But Reeva Steenkamp's parents wrote a protest letter to the parole board regarding Oscar Pistorius' release.

A portion of the letter was published on CNN and it reads, "As her family, we do not seek to avenge her death and we do not want Mr. Pistorius to suffer; that will not bring her back to us. However a person found guilty of a crime must be held accountable for their actions."

The letter added, "Statistics show that our society is under continuous attack from criminals and murderers. Incarceration of 10 months for taking a life is simply not enough. We fear that this will not send out the proper message and serve as the deterrent it should."

Reeva Steenkamp's parents, as well as her relatives and friends, honored their daughter on her birthday by visiting Summerstrand beach where her ashes were scattered, said Daily Mirror.

In postponing Oscar Pistorius' release date, the justice minister explained that the paralympian has not served a sixth of his sentence, which would have made him liable for parole.

He said, "It is therefore clear that there is no legal basis upon which such a decision was made ... one sixth of a five-year sentence is 10 months and at the time the decision was made Mr Pistorius had served only over six months of his sentence."