Two men who raped and murdered an 86-year-old nun are jailed for life in South Africa

Sister Gertrud Tiefenbacher not pictured fully

Joyce Meyer had the right words when she said the world was really messed up. 

Cries of 'thank you Jesus' came from the public gallery as two men were jailed for life for the rape and murder of an 86-year-old nun who was strangled with an electric typewriter cord.

Sibongiseni Phungula, 25, and Mondli Shozi, 26, were each handed life terms at a South African court for the killing of  Austrian-born Sister Gertrud Tiefenbacher.

'The accused will be removed from society for a long period of time, deterring them from killing, raping or robbing anyone else,' Judge Nompumelelo Radebe said in Pietermaritzburg High Court.

Sister Gertrud was based at the Sacred Heart Home Convent in the village of Ixopo, southwest of Durban, where she was killed last month. She was strangled by the typewriter cord, suffocated with a wet towel, and left for dead in her room after being raped by the two men.

The judge said the men claimed to have been drunk during the crime and had shown no remorse.

'They have never taken the opportunity to face the nuns seated in the gallery and ask for forgiveness,' she said. 'They never once turned around and took the opportunity to apologise.' 

On Tuesday, her killers pleaded guilty to her murder and rape.

The victim's friend Betty Firmstone, 85, previously told South Africa's Daily News: 'I met Sister in 1952 when I started teaching at a school attached to the mission. We worked very closely together. She loved her work with children. 

'This really was an act of savagery against a gentle, caring soul.'

One of the accused told the court they had gone to the convent to look for food after a night of drinking. The pair also stole a vacuum cleaner, groceries and a watch.

Source: Dailymail