Grahamstown resident Luyanda Mona, who was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment at the beginning of the year, will appeal his sentence at the Grahamstown high court on Wednesday.
Grahamstown resident Luyanda Mona, who was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment at the beginning of the year, will appeal his sentence at the Grahamstown high court on Wednesday.
This comes after Magistrate Onica van Pappendorf dismissed an application from his attorney, Mzuphela Yeko, for leave to appeal both the conviction and sentence shortly after sentencing in January.
The former DJ, well known locally, was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment in the Grahamstown Regional Court on 17 January after he was found guilty on three counts of culpable homicide; failing to stop his vehicle after the accident; failing to ascertain the nature and extent of any injury sustained by any person and failing to render assistance to the injured person.
The charges stem from a hit-and-run incident in November 2006 in Nompondo Street, Joza, where three friends were killed – Ayanda Liwani, 34, Zamile Makafe, 30 and Sipho Stamper, also in his 30s. Two died at the scene in Nompondo Street and the other died later in hospital.
When delivering her sentence Pappendorf said Mona should have been charged with murder, not culpable homicide, because he'd had ample opportunity to avoid the collision.
The families of the three young men killed in the accident said the justice system had failed them, saying Mona got away with a light sentence.
Mona will appeal his sentence on 31 October.
