SIKHUMBUZO Zungu was on Thursday (September 17) sentenced to life behind bars for the murder in 2025 of Babongile Nkonyeni, the mother of his child, and was slapped with an additional three years for the theft of the cellphones that belonged to his victim.

The sentence has been welcomed by Nkonyeni’s family members, who, for almost a year since her cold-blooded murder with a sharp object, have dragged themselves to the court in Pinetown to closely follow proceedings, which at some moments appeared to be progressing at a snail’s pace for them.

Zungu, who in his guilty plea told the regional court that a fit of jealousy-induced rage drove him to stab Nkonyeni in the chest multiple times, had at some point attempted to enter into negotiations for a settlement on a sentence, an attempt which was rejected by the State.

Nkonyeni’s mother, Sibongile Shezi expressed her satisfaction with the sentence handed down to Zungu.

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“I am very satisfied with the sentence he received. I was anxious, not knowing what sentence the court would hand down. The life sentence is satisfactory for me and I welcome it,” said Shezi.

Zungu had sought a sentence lesser than life, 10 years, with five of these suspended.

Zungu had remained behind bars since his arrest two days after the October 26, 2025 murder of Nkonyeni at a residence in Pinetown.

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