A South African public relations company says it will no longer represent Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee athlete charged with murdering his girlfriend.

CEO Janine Hills of Vuma Reputation Management, says the Pistorius family is in a "stronger position" to handle media issues, but that her company will continue to provide guidance.

The PR firm is still working with the star sprinter, but is "in the process of a handover" which began March 1st.

The company denied suggestions that the decision to part ways had anything to do with controversial comments made to the British media by Oscar's father, Henke Pistorius, that the family needed guns as the ANC government was not doing enough to protect white people in the country.

Hills said although the family was still in mourning and Pistorius was still battling to cope with what had happened, the company believed the family could now handle the media itself.

Pistorius was charged with premeditated murder in the Valentine's Day shooting death of girlfriend and model Reeva Steenkamp. He says he shot her by accident after mistaking her for an intruder in his home. Prosecutors allege he intended to kill her.