Three suspects appeared in the Mpumalanga magistrate court in connection with the murder of 28-year-old Hillary Gardee
Three suspects appeared in the Mpumalanga magistrate’s court on Monday morning for the murder of Hillary Gardee, 28. The daughter of former Economic Freedom Front secretary general Godrich Gardee was shot in the back of the head and stabbed in the chest after being kidnapped in Nelspruit on 29 April.
Sipho Lawrence Mkhatshwa, 39, Philemon “Philly” Lukhele, 47, and Albert “Khabzela” Gama, 52, appeared in the magistrate’s court on charges of kidnapping, conspiracy to commit murder, murder, rape, the possession of an unlicensed firearm and defeating the ends of justice.
Lukhele is an employee in the office of the chief whip in the Mpumalanga legislature and a member of the ruling ANC.
The provincial legislature has condemned the murder and distanced itself “from the acts of killing of innocent people”.
“This office stands for the protection of women, young girls and boys and condemns in the strongest terms any acts of violence perpetrated against the vulnerable especially women and children and any acts of GBV+F,” provincial chief whip Fidel Mlombo said in a statement on Monday.
“We trust the laws of this country that there will be a successful investigation and prosecution of the perpetrators and that those who are found to have committed this heinous crime are put behind bars and removed from the streets for the safety of our society.”
Mlombo said that because of the serious nature of the charges against Lukhele, the provincial legislature initiated an internal process against him, “in accordance with the labour laws of our country”.
Gardee’s funeral was on Saturday.
Her body was found on 3 May in a plantation near the road linking Nelspruit and Sabie, 60km away from the Nelspruit Plaza Spar where she was kidnapped on the afternoon of 29 April.
The three accused abandoned their bail applications on Monday and will remain in custody until the matter resumes on 9 June.
More arrests are expected.