Long gone are the days when South Africans viewed Oscar Pistorius as a role model and a national icon.

South Africa's Minister for Women, Children and People with Disabilities, Lulu Xingwana, is calling for the most severe punishment to be handed down to the former track star, who has been charged with murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

"We are saying to the courts: we want to see the toughest sentences and we also want to make sure that the accused does not run away, that they finally face justice," Xingwana said to NDTV.com.

Xingwana attended Pistorius' recent court hearing in Pretoria. He was formally indicted and it was announced that his trial would be starting on Mar. 3, 2014.

The "Blade Runner" became famous for his resilience as a disabled, yet talented athlete. In 2012 he became the first double leg amputee to participate in the Olympics, winning support from people in South Africa and around the world. The 26-year-old shocked the African nation on the fateful February night when he admitted to shooting his girlfriend, which he claims was an accident due to his assumption that there was an intruder in the house.

The 26-year-old faces 25 years to life in prison, if convicted. The prosecution is reportedly confident that Pistorius will indeed be found guilty based on the evidence gathered so far. The prosecution has a list of over 100 witnesses, including ex-girlfriend Samantha Taylor, who may be a key factor in determining whether Pistorius had a temper that could have led to the shooting.

"There were a few occasions when things could have gone wrong with her and his gun during the time they dated," Taylor's mother said.

Besides his court appearances, Pistorius was most recently seen running on the track at The University of Pretoria.