The Butterworth Regional Court has sentenced 22-year-old Viwe Rulumeni to 20 years imprisonment for the murder of his ex-girlfriend.
NPA’s Regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali, says Rulumeni was convicted after pleading guilty to choking and stabbing Wits University student Asithandile “Kwasa” Zozo to death in August last year.
He told the court in his plea explanation that Zozo, who was 19-years-old at the time, had ended their romantic relationship and he did not want to accept that.
Tyali says on the day of the incident, he went to Zozo’s home in Dutywa because she was ignoring his attempts to talk to her.
He then forcefully took her to an open field where he stabbed her several times, full view of several people, including the deceased’s minor siblings, until the knife he was using broke.
After the murder, Rulumeni took a poisonous substance in an attempt to commit suicide but was taken to hospital where he recovered.
In a pre-sentence report, prepared by a social worker, Rulumeni claimed that he was abandoned when he grew up.
The report also revealed that he was motivated by jealousy when he committed the offence because Zozo had progressed to university, while his life seemed to have stagnated after passing matric.
The NPA welcomed the 20-years imprisonment.
