Four men were jailed for 18 years on Wednesday for stabbing and stoning 19-year-old lesbian Zoliswa Nkonyana to death in 2006.
Lubabalo Ntlabathi, Sicelo Mase, Luyanda Londzi and Mbulelo Damba were sentenced by the Khayelitsha Regional Court to 18 years, four of which were suspended for five years.
A crowd outside the court cheered, sang, raised their fists and danced when news came that the men had been sentenced.
The National Prosecuting Authority had asked for the men to be sentenced to 15 years each.
"We asked the presiding officer to sentence the men to no less than 15 years in prison as they committed a heinous crime, killed a young woman because she was living openly ads a lesbian, never showed any remorse or accepted responsibility for what they have done," NPA spokesman Eric Ntabazalila said.
"Only their parents apologised on their behalf and we believe rehabilitation stands a small chance of being achieved."
The men were found to have killed Nkonyana because she was openly living as a lesbian.
Another five accused were acquitted.
