Four men found guilty of killing a 19 year old lesbian have each been sentenced to 18 years in jail.

Zoliswa Nkonyana was stabbed and stoned to death in a homophobic attack near Cape Town in February 2006. Whilst the South African constitution protects people on the grounds of their sexual orientation, it is well known that homophobia is still widespread in the country. Despite the case being postponed over 50 times during the last 6 years, a combination of international pressure and news coverage has resulted in the killers being brought to justice.

The sentences were greeted by cheering and dancing by large crowds outside the court.