The Mpumalanga premier, Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, has welcomed the five life sentences served on the convicted serial killer, Julius Thabiso Mndawe, as fundamental in the fight against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).

Mndawe was sentenced by Acting Judge Denise Coetzer in the Mpumalanga  High Court last week for premeditated murder and for defeating the ends of justice.

He pleaded guilty to the murder of five women in Numbi Trust outside Hazyview. Mtshweni-Tsipane said the five life sentences are a landmark victory in the fight against GBVF. According to her, the life sentences are a strong signal that such crime has no place in the society.

“These life sentences for Mndawe may not be harsh enough. However, we are consoled by the fact that they are a sign of a shared view between the court and society for criminals like him to be removed permanently.” She commended the police for his arrest and the successful prosecution.

“The effectiveness of the justice system is key to the fight against the GBV scourge. The president, His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa, made a clarion call for the intensification of the fight against GBV in the state of the nation address.

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“It is no coincidence that the acting judge sentenced Mndawe for the five life sentences. It is a sign that our justice system is intolerant to criminals like him who has no respect for human life. This is hope enough that at some point women and children will live without fear in our society, as all the criminals would be removed permanently,” she said.

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She further commended Mndawe’s mother for her role which led to his arrest and the exhumation of the bodies.

“We commend parents who stand on the side of the law when their children have committed crime. We are aware that this was not an easy decision for her to report her own son to the police. She is exemplary to a society that is at war against GBV.”