A Mpumalanga man was sentenced to life in prison by the High Court in Middelburg for brutally murdering his girlfriend in Standerton.
It is alleged that Lungisa Zozo, 38, shot Akhona Myolwa, 36, multiple times when they were in a car on the night of October 5, 2021, at about 1am.
The accused is said to have fired six shots; however, Myolwa was hit by three bullets. He then drove her to the hospital; however, she was certified dead on arrival.
"The matter was reported to the police, where an investigation was conducted, which led to Zozo's arrest, and he was denied bail when he appeared in court," said Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, a police spokesperson.
"He then spent time behind bars while his trial was in progress," Mohlala said.
Mohlala further added that the accused was found guilty of premeditated murder by the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court, which was sitting in Delmas on June 15, 2023.
"The sentence was handed down on Monday, October 2, 2023, by the High Court in Middelburg, where Zozo received life-term imprisonment.
"He was further declared unfit to possess a firearm," Mohlala said.
The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela, commended the investigation team, the prosecution team, and the judiciary for the exceptional manner in which the case was handled, which resulted in the well-deserving sentence imposed upon the perpetrator.
"We still have a duty as a country to join hands in the fight against the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide, which is often seen even in domestic violence incidents that usually end in murders," Manamela said.
IOL News