THE Butterworth Regional Court sentenced Viwe Rulumeni (22) from Dutywa to 20 years’ imprisonment after he pleaded guilty of murdering his ex-girlfriend, Wits University student, Asithandile “Kwasa” Zozo, last week.
Rulumeni was convicted after pleading guilty to choking and stabbing Zozo to death on August 17, 2020.
According to the spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Luxolo Tyali, Rulumeni committed the murder in full view of a number of people, including the deceased’s minor siblings.
Tyali said in his plea explanation, Rulumeni admitted that Zozo, who was then 19, had ended their relationship and he did not want to accept that.
“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 Zozo to an open field where he stabbed her several times until the knife he was using broke.
“After killing her, he took a poisonous substance in an attempt to commit suicide, but he was taken to hospital where he recovered,” said Tyali.
He added that 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.
Advocate Bakhe Mtukushe submitted the victim impact statement prepared by court preparation manager, Sindisiwe Buthelezi.
The statement explained the trauma that the father and siblings of the deceased suffered following her murder.
The Eastern Cape director of public prosecutions in Mthatha Region, Barry Madolo, applauded the investigation and prosecution team for the short turnaround time in finalising the case.
“We will continue to strive for swift justice without compromising prosecutions, more especially in our priority crimes such as femicide,” said Madolo.
