Lesbian murderers soon to learn their fate

Four men convicted of murdering Zoliswa Nkonyana because she was a lesbian will know their fate this week.

Lubabolo Ntlabathi, Sicelo Mase, Luyanda Londzi and Mbulelo Damba will appear before the Khayelitsha Regional Court for pre-sentencing arguments today.

Nkonyana, 19, was stabbed and stoned to death outside a shebeen in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, on February 4, 2006 - reportedly for being openly lesbian.

The case, in its sixth year, has been beset by delays, bungling and escape from custody. It has been postponed about 50 times.

Last year the families of the convicted men pleaded with the court to sentence them to correctional supervision instead of imprisonment. They argued that they were underage when they committed the offence.

But Nkonyana's parents are struggling to come to terms with the death of their only child and have declined to speak to media.

Activists from the Treatment Action Campaign, Triangle Project, Social Justice Coalition, Free Gender and Khayelitsha residents took to picketing outside the court when the four appear to draw attention to the delays.

Treatment Action Campaign's Lumkile Sizila said Nkonyana's mother is hurt by the lengthy delays.

"It has been a painful six years for us and Zoliswa's family. This is very discouraging. It doesn't give Khayelitsha residents confidence in the justice system," said Sizila.

Social Justice Coalition coordinator Angy Peter said the case was an example of the justice system failing the poor.

"If Zoliswa's mother were a middle-class citizen this case wouldn't have taken this long. Zoliswa's family has been in and out of court more than 40 times seeking justice."

Eric Ntabazalila, spokesman for the National Prosecution Authority in Western Cape, said today's proceeding will deal mainly with mitigation of sentence, followed by sentencing on Wednesday.