SA court judges and magistrates sometimes faced criticism from the public for handing down "lenient" jail sentences to people who committed serious crimes, like rape and murder.

One judge who comes to mind is Thokozile Masipa, who incurred widespread derision from the public after her controversial sentencing of former Olympian and murderer Oscar Pistorius in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria in 2016.

Masipa sentenced Pistorius to five years for culpable homicide for killing his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2014 - a decision which was later overturned by the appeals court and a murder verdict registered.

In her new sentence for Pistorius on a murder conviction, Masipa only increased his sentence by one year to six years.

However, the sentence was successfully appealed by the National Prosecuting Authority and the Supreme Court of Appeal, and was increased to 13 years.

Yesterday, acting judge Herman Broodryk earned respect and trust of the public when he handed down a life sentence to murderer Lebohang Kevin Mofokeng.

Mofokeng, 30, was found guilty of killing his 21-year-old girlfriend Nica Jabulile Nhlapo at her Vaal commune in April last year.

Though Mofokeng said he was sorry to Nhlapo's family during mitigation of sentence, Broodryk said he was not willing to accept his apology.

Nica's mother Adeline Nhlapo yesterday hailed Broodryk's judgment, saying the law has taken its course.

The life sentence was also praised by Gauteng department of community safety head Yoliswa Makhasi.

This heavy sentence could not have come at the more opportune time when SA is crippled by a high number of gender-based violence and femicide cases.

Our brothers and sisters are living in fear as we don't know who will be the next victim of gender-based violence or femicide.

The situation has gone out of control and we need judges like Broodryk to send a strong message to would-be culprits that our justice system will act harshly and accordingly against them.

People like Mofokeng don't deserve to roam our streets, and they need to be permanently removed from society.