Lucky Dube's killers are hooligans who deserve to rot in jail, the reggae star's band members and fans said outside the High Court in Johannesburg on Thursday.

"These devils, these criminals and hooligans, do not belong to the civilised society. What a waste of life," read placards carried by some of the band members and friends outside the court.

Judge Seun Moshidi earlier sentenced Sifiso Mhlanga, Julius Gxowa and Mbuti Mabe to life for killing the reggae star. The trio, who shot and killed Dube during a botched hijacking in Rosettenville in October 2007, were also sentenced to 15 years each for the attempted hijacking of Dube's car.

They were also sentenced to an additional 43 years each for the hijacking of two vehicles, one of which was used as a getaway car following Dube's murder.

One of Dube's backing vocalists, Tonique Thala, said they were relieved, although the sentencing would not bring Dube back.

"I don't think we will ever recover from this. But we are happy that justice has been done," Thala said.

Dube's wife Zanele cried uncontrollably after the men responsible for her husband's murder were sentenced.

"The sentence won't heal me, but we are happy they were arrested and that the law took its course," Dube said.

She said the difficulty was in going home to explain to her three young children that their father's killers had been sentenced to life.

One of the children was only three-months-old at the time of Dube's killing.

Dube said things had been really difficult for her following her husband's murder, as she had to explain to the children why their father was never home.

Dube's band members, other musicians and members of the Nazareth Baptist Church (popularly known as the Shembe Church) clad in white regalia, had also been in court to hear the sentencing.