Mpumalanga police officials to testify in Hillary Gardee murder case

Mpumalanga provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Manamela, is expected to testify in the bail application of the two men accused of the murder of Hillary Gardee.

Hillary Gardee murder case

Manamela and provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala will take the stand on Friday, in the Nelspruit Magistrates’ Court.

The police officials have been called by defence lawyers to testify about a media statement, allegedly made by Manamela, that the fourth suspect arrested for Gardee’s murder, Hlabirwa Rasie Nkune, had apparently confessed to killing her.

Defence lawyers believe that the charges against their clients should be withdrawn due to the alleged confession and want the statement to be placed in the court record.

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Last week, Nkune appeared in the same court facing several charges, including murder, rape, kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice. He abandoned his bail application.

The 36-year-old was arrested last month, at his hide-out in Springs, east of Gauteng. His arrest brought to four the total number of suspects who have been arrested in connection with the murder case.

The other accused are Philemon Lukhele, Albert Gama and Sipho Mkhatshwa.

Mkhatshwa was denied bail last month. Lukhele and Gama’s bail hearing is being heard on Friday.

The four men have all been charged with conspiracy to commit murder, murder, rape, kidnapping, possession of an unlicensed firearm, possession of ammunition and defeating the ends of justice.

Gardee, the daughter of former EFF secretary-general Godrich Gardee, was found on 3 May near a timber plantation outside Mbombela, after she went missing at the Nelspruit Plaza on 29 April.

The 28-year-old’s body was found with stab wounds, boot prints and a gunshot wound.

Pending cases

During Nkune’s appearance in court last Thursday, it emerged that he had pending cases in two different courts in Mpumalanga.

NPA regional spokesperson Monica Nyuswa said the accused also had a previous conviction for possession of an unlicensed firearm.

“He is also facing a charge of murder of a woman (Nonkululeko Crystal Nkosi) in the Delmas Magistrates’ Court and another case at KaNyamazane Magistrates’ Court, where he is facing two counts of murder.

“He allegedly killed a police officer and her sister which occurred in May this year. He also has a previous conviction where he was sentenced to four years of correctional supervision for possession of an unlicensed firearm,” Nyuswa said in a statement.

The case against the four accused was postponed to 9 September 2022, for the determination of whether the trial would be heard in the high court.

Compiled by Thapelo Lekabe

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