‘My heart is a bit at ease’: Mondli Majola's mom on Govender brothers' sentence
Although the mother of the 19-year-old, attacked by the Govender brothers in Phoenix during the 2021 July unrest, said she was expecting a higher sentence, she is relieved that they will be going to prison.
DURBAN - The mother of Mondli Majola, who was attacked by the so-called Phoenix brothers, said that although a seven-year jail sentence is not enough for the pair, she is happy that they are going to prison.
Brothers Ned and Dylan Govender were sentenced by the Durban High Court on Friday for attacking the 19-year-old in Phoenix, north of Durban during the July 2021 unrest.
Majola died from injuries that he suffered in the attack.
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‘I JUST COULD NOT HANDLE THE MEMORIES’
For Nombuso Majola, the death of her son is still painful.
She said she even needed to leave their old home where Mondli was born and raised.
"I had to actually move from where I was actually staying because of the memories. It was just too much - I just could not handle the memories."
After Judge Gregory Kruger jailed the pair, Nombuso said she now has a bit of closure.
"My heart is a bit [at] ease, even though it was not something that I was looking for, in terms of the sentence. I expected to get something higher - like a lot [higher]."
‘OUR PEOPLE WERE MURDERED IN PHOENIX’
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in KwaZulu-Natal said it was also hoping for a stronger jail term for the Phoenix brothers.
The EFF in the province has been calling for justice for the Phoenix victims since the incident in July 2021.
Thirty-six people were killed during the unrest.
The party held a large protest to the Phoenix police station the same year.
"We are hoping the court will impose long jail terms because our people were murdered in Phoenix,” said the party's provincial chairperson Mongezi Twala.
“We have 36 people who were gruesomely murdered and were hurt."
The party also said it will continue to demand that the victims be compensated.
[WATCH] @EFFKZN says it is not happy with the sentence. Party provincial chairperson Mongezi Twala, says they are against the pair having being acquitted for Majola’s murder. pic.twitter.com/ESBR4i2TJv
' EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) August 18, 2023
