GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - Vuyokazi Tini (25) was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for the murder of her 33-year-old boyfriend, Olwethu Masetywa in February last year.

Masetywa was a general worker at Nqweba Secondary School. Tini's sentence was mitigated by the fact that she is a first-time offender, and the fact that the relationship between Tini and Masetywa was mutually abusive.

It came to light in court that the couple was assaulting each other when she stabbed him to death.

At the time of his murder, the Chairperson of the Graaff-Reinet Community Police Forum, Anele Ngoyo spoke out against the unheeded issue of violence against men. According to him gender-based violence can go both ways but nobody takes abuse against men seriously.

Ngoyo and other community members gathered outside the Graaff-Reinet Magistrates Court on 1 and 8 March imploring the court to deny Tini bail. Her bail application was dismissed.

Tini's sentence was welcomed by Ngoyo. "When we are protesting, we are not saying that we are against the person. We are saying that we are against the wrongful conduct of the person. We are prepared to accept perpetrators back into the community but only after they have served their sentences. We condemn all wrongdoings in our community and will continue to be the voice of the voiceless until justice is served."

‘Ons bring jou die nuutste Tuinroete, Hessequa, Karoo nuus’