Convicted murderer, Thabani Mzolo, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of slain Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) student, Zolile Khumalo. Judge Nompumelelo Radebe also sentenced Mzolo to 25 years in prison for possession of an unlicensed firearm and three years for possession of live rounds of ammunition.

Sentencing Mzolo, Judge Radebe said violence by man was increasing by proportions and we needed to differentiate between spontaneous crime and premeditated crime.

Speaking outside the court, MUT Vice-Chancellor, Dr Enoch Duma Malaza said: “We are very pleased by the sentencing. It affirms that the courts too will not tolerate Gender-Based Violence. It gives us strength as a University that there are consequences for criminal behaviour. This is a victory in the fight against Gender-Based Violence and femicide. We hope that this sentence will show many GBV victims that there is justice in South Africa. We have been running a campaign on GBV since the beginning of this year, called Black Thursdays against GBV. The aim is to empower our young men and women on GBV. GBV is on the increase in this country and should not be tolerated. This campaign is in support of our MUT Strategy 2025 where we have a responsibility to undertake an agenda of building this nation. The sentence affirms the stance of USAF, that our universities must not be turned into hunting grounds for murderers and rapists but be transformed into places where knowledge is produced. We pay our tribute to the untiring Khumalo family, the SAPS, witnesses and the State.”

After sentencing, the Khumalo family was welcomed by MUT students who were singing outside the Durban High Court to demonstrate their support for the Khumalo family and to communicate their disdain for Gender-Based Violence.