WATCH | Cold no match for EFF’s support at Hillary Gardee’s murder trial

Scores of EFF supporters braved the cold Monday morning breeze and congregated outside the Mpumalanga high court to support their deputy president, Godrich Gardee, as the trial of a man accused of murdering his daughter got underway.

The trial of Hlabirwa Rassie Nkuna, was expected to start three years since Hillary Gardee was murdered. Hillary and her 3-year-old adopted daughter went missing on April 29 2022, at Nelspruit Plaza while shopping. Her daughter was dumped at Umnenke Street at KaMagugu, where they stayed, and Hillary’s lifeless body was found by timber plantation workers about 60km outside Mbombela towards Sabie. It had a gunshot wound at the back of the head.

On Monday, Gardee was flanked by other family members and the chairperson of the EFF in Mpumalanga Collen Sedibe as they sat in court, waiting for the matter to start.

I came here to make sure that our voice is heard, that we want justice for Hillary and that murderer Rasie Nkuna rots in jail.

—  Sunday Mgiba, EFF supporter

Holding placards that read ‘Enough is Enough’ and ‘Am I Next?’, the protesters were in their party’s regalia as they sang outside court.

”Hillary is the daughter of our deputy president, Godrich Gardee, and our sister who loved the EFF as all of us," said EFF supporter Sunday Mgiba outside court.

”That is why I came here to make sure that our voice is heard, that we want justice for Hillary and that murderer Rasie Nkuna rots in jail."

After the discovery of Hillary’s body, police initially arrested ANC senior researcher at the Mpumalanga provincial legislature, Philimon “Mhlabunzima” Lukhele, an employee of the Ekurhuleni metro municipality, Sipho Lawrence Mkhwatshwa and Lukhele’s security guard, Mduduzi Gama.

The three had their cases withdrawn on the day of their trial in 2023, while Nkuna who was on parole at the time of his arrest, was sentenced in another trial where he was handed two life sentences for the murders of his girlfriend Pretty Mazibuko and her police officer sister Marcia.

Nkuna was arrested on August 11 in 2022, and the state at the time said he had confessed to meeting Hillary on Facebook, leading to the personal meeting on April 29 in Mbombela.

Sowetan