Justice for Zoliswa

by PHILANI NOMBEMBE in The Times

Six years and about 50 postponements later, and after accusations of shoddy police work and prosecution, the four killers of Zoliswa Nkonyana were finally sentenced.

In sentencing the men, which lasted 90 minutes, Magistrate Raadiya Whaten said she believed the brutal killing of the 19-year-old lesbian - who was stabbed, beaten, clubbed and kicked to death - was fuelled "by hatred".

In a courtroom packed to capacity for the first time since the trial started, Whaten sentenced Lubabalo Ntlabathi, Sicelo Mase, Luyanda Londzi and Mbulelo Damba to 18 years in jail each for the February 2006 murder.

Four years of each of their sentences were suspended for five years.