Hillary Gardee’s alleged killer sentenced for double murder of sisters
The convicted Hlabirwa Rassie Nkuna was sentenced to two life imprisonment terms at the Mpumalanga High Court on Thursday 18 May for the double murder of his girlfriend and her sister Marcia last year.
The sentence comes after the 37-year-old pleaded guilty on Tuesday this week to murdering his girlfriend Pretty Mazibuko and her police sergeant sister Marcia, in Kanyamazane, outside Mbombela (formerly known as Nelspruit), on 15 May 2022.
Mpumalanga sisters’ murder, Hillary Gardee co-accused
A month ago, Nkuna and his three co-accused had charges of killing Hillary Gardee provisionally withdrawn by the court after key state witnesses vanished.
Gardee, the daughter of former Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) secretary-general Godrich Gardee, was kidnapped and killed in April last year.
Double murder case: GBV, cop killings highlighted
In handing down the sentence, Judge Takalani Vincent Ratshibvumo, said that in his plea statement, Nkuna failed to give the court genuine reasons for the murders.
He stated that the word must go out to the entire Mbombela community that the court will not tolerate the perpetrators of crimes against women in society.
The trial started on Monday 15 May and was postponed to Tuesday, when Ratshibvumo handed down the verdict.
During the aggravation of the sentence on Wednesday, Advocate Zwelethu Mata presented a victim impact statement compiled by court preparation officer Nomfundo Mokoena.
Nkuna was charged with two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder. The state, however, withdrew the attempted murder charges.
According to the Mpumalanga National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Monica Nyuswa, the double murder case highlights two very important things happening in our society.
“One, it is highlighting the scourge of gender-based violence, and two, the emerging killings of officers in our society. The sentence imposed on the accused today is a clear indication that the NPA is taking these kinds of crimes seriously. We are satisfied with the sentence imposed on the accused. We hope it will deter future offenders.”
Nkuna ‘will come back and face the music’ in Hillary Gardee case – NPA
Nyuswa said the NPA is aware that Nkuna was accused number four in the Gardee murder case.
“The case was provisionally withdrawn, I think few weeks ago. We are still busy with the matter; we are busy tracing witnesses. Once we have found all the witnesses, we will reinstate it and Nkuna will come back and face the music.”
Mazibuko sisters’ mother speaks out
Samaria Mazibuko, the victims’ mother, said: “After this sentence today, I am sure I will be able to sleep. I think I will be able to get back to my normal self and to drive. Since this incident occurred, I have not been okay”.
“Another thing that hurts me is that at the time when he ran away, I was not sure about his whereabouts. I was scared. I remember there was a day when I thought I could hear someone walking up the stairs. I walked around the house to check if there was a place that was open and maybe a person managed to enter. I was not free.
“I appreciate what the law has done, and it made me happy,” she said.
In other news – SA adult content creator, Wandi blows a guy for R1 500 on MacG’s Podcast and Chill – WATCH
Wandi Ndlovu, a well-known South African p0rnstar has set social media streets ablaze after what she did live on Mac G’s Podcast and Chill. Due to her experience in the industry, she did not shy away from exercising what she knows how to do best.
While being interviewed by Mac G, she was asked how much would she charge to give a fellow guy named, Simphiwe in the room, a bl0w job and that the guy had not had such an act done on him for a long time. Learn More
