Serial killer Hlabirwa Rassie Nkuna, who had charges of murdering EFF deputy president Godrich Gardee's daughter Hillary dropped against him, will now go on trial for the killing.
Nkuna is accused of killing Gardee, 28, in 2022. Charges against Nkuna and three others were provisionally withdrawn in the Mpumalanga high court in April 2023.
This after the state prosecutor said the trial could not go ahead because three key witnesses, including a sangoma who claimed one of the accused in the murder case had consulted him for cleansing, could not be traced.
Mpumalanga NPA spokesperson Monica Nyuswa on Monday confirmed to Sowetan that Nkuna had been charged with Gardee's murder again.
"Rassie appeared in separate courts today [Monday] in the Nelspruit magistrate's court. He first appeared in the district court where he is charged with possession of a firearm. I don't have background information [on this matter].
"He then appeared again in the regional court for the murder of [Godrich] Gardee's daughter. That matter is postponed to October for trial in the high court," said Nyuswa.
She had not, at the time of going to print, responded to further questions about whether the state had been able to trace the witnesses or if there was new evidence in the case.
He then appeared again in the regional court for the murder of [Godrich] Gardee's daughter. That matter is postponed to October for trial in the high court,
— Monica Nyuswa, Mpumalanga NPA spokesperson
Gardee went missing on April 29 2022 while shopping at the Nelspruit Plaza with her adopted three-year-old daughter.
The toddler was later dropped along Umnenke Street at KaMaGugu township the same night. Timber plantation workers found Gardee's body about 60km outside Mbombela towards Sabie days after she was reported missing.
Nkuna was previously charged with Sipho Mkhatshwa, Philemon Lukhele and Albert Gama in the Gardee murder case.
At the time, police said Gardee had been murdered at Lukhele's guesthouse, Intsika, in Mbombela and her body loaded onto a vehicle and dumped elsewhere.
[Godrich] Gardee said he had not been informed of Nkuna's appearance in court on Monday.
On May 15, just 12 days after Gardee’s lifeless body was found, Nkuna killed his girlfriend Pretty Mazibuko and her sister Marcia during a violent argument that erupted between the couple.
Nkuna is currently serving a life sentence for those two murders. He is also currently on trial in the Pretoria high court for the murder of couple Lucky and Sabeliwe Mogashoa in March 2022.
He was out on parole when he allegedly kidnapped and murdered the Mogashoas in the presence of their children – aged one and six. Sabeliwe was six months pregnant at the time of her killing.
In August 2022, Nkuna allegedly murdered Nonkululeko Nkosi, 27, in Benoni, Ekurhuleni, after they met through Facebook. He allegedly took her to Sundra, near Delmas in Mpumalanga, against her will.
Police said she was immobilised with a taser and strangled. Her vehicle was stolen and later found abandoned.
SowetanLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.