FREED: Artist and murderer Zwelethu Mthethwa paroled after serving half his sentence

Artist and convicted murderer Zwelethu Mthethwa has been released on parole after serving half of his 18-year sentence for the brutal 2013 murder of 23-year-old Nokuphila Kumalo. The internationally exhibited South African artist was sentenced in June 2017 by Western Cape High Court Judge Patricia Goliath, who found Mthethwa guilty of kicking Kumalo more than 60 times during a late-night assault on a Woodstock road in Cape Town.

Kumalo, a sex worker, was left with severe injuries and died from her wounds. Mthethwa, who claimed he could remember nothing of the night, was rejected by the judge for his lack of remorse and attempted deception. Following a comprehensive parole consideration process, Mthethwa was deemed suitable for release by the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board at Brandvlei Management Area.

However, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has not disclosed the specific details of Mthethwa's rehabilitation, his acceptance of responsibility for the crime, or whether Kumalo's relatives were consulted in the decision. Kumalo's death was found to have been aggravated by her status as a sex worker, which increased her vulnerability.