The judge in the Lucky Dube murder trial is expected to start sentencing the reggae musician's killers in the Johannesburg High Court from 10am on Thursday.

Sifiso Mhlanga (34) Julius Gxowa (32) and Mbuti Mabe (31) were found guilty on Tuesday of killing Dube during a botched hijacking in Rosettenville on 18 October 2007.

While arguing in mitigation of their sentencing on Wednesday, their three lawyers admitted there were neither substantial nor compelling circumstances to impose a lesser sentence than life on the trio, but pleaded with the court to consider their young children.

Mhlanga has three children with different women, while Gxowa and Mabe have two children each.

In counter argument, State advocate Lethabo Mashiane said the trio had not considered their children when committing the crimes and should be sentenced to life, a minimum sentence for murder.

"They had these children before they decided to commit the crime, so they can't now say 'please have mercy on us because we have children'.

"They didn't show any remorse... and they are surely not candidates for rehabilitation. This court should impose one sentence only and that sentence is life imprisonment. They should be removed from society," Mashiane said.

He said the three men should also not be considered for parole before serving at least 25 years of their sentence.

Mhlanga's lawyer, advocate Vuyo Jack on Wednesday said the court should consider the fact that Mhlanga had already spent a year and five months behind bars as an awaiting trialist.

Unlike his two co-accused, Mhlanga had no previous conviction.

Gxowa was convicted in 2008 for possession of suspected stolen property and was subsequently sentenced to a year in jail or an option of paying R5000. He got an additional two years suspended for five years, said his lawyer Mpho Milubi.

Mabe's lawyer, Vincent Soko told the court Mabe was convicted for theft in 1998 and imprisoned for four years.