Imposing a life sentence on a 44-year-old woman who agreed to pay R15 000 to have her allegedly abusive husband killed, a Pietermaritzburg judge said women should seek avenues other than murder to escape marital abuse.

Most South African women were abused by their partners, Acting Judge Rose Mogwera said sentencing Sbongile Khumalo in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Tuesday.

Many men had affairs, would arrive home late and when challenged by their partners would intimidate them. Such bad behaviour by men did not justify them being killed, she said.

Gunman Sandiso Bekwa shot dead the sleeping Bheki Prince Khumalo in his home in Pietermaritzburg on the afternoon of 25 March, the court heard.

Pleading guilty to the murder, Khumalo's wife told the court he had abused her intolerably and had not given her household expenses. She made and sold vetkoek for money.

Mogwera found that Khumalo had not shown substantial and compelling circumstances for a lesser sentences than the prescribed minimum of a life sentence for premeditated and planned murder.

She said women could obtain protection orders which should restrain abusive partners.

In some situations indunas or other people could intercede to help improve a bad relationship or women could walk out of a relationship.

The Domestic Violence Act had been promulgated to try to ease dissonant relationships.