Newly elected EFF deputy president Godrich Gardee has lambasted former police minister General Bheki Cele for the wrongful arrests in his daughter Hillary Gardee’s murder case.
Hillary, 28, was brutally murdered between April and May 2022. Her body was discovered in a plantation near Sabie, Mpumalanga, about 30 minutes from her home in Mbombela.
Three suspects were initially arrested and charged with rape and murder. They spent a year awaiting trial, only to be released after a fourth suspect confessed to acting alone.
Speaking at the funeral of slain EFF branch treasurer Daniel “Dan” Makutu in Kabokweni over the weekend, Gardee reflected on his own painful experience with crime and police failures.
Makutu, 50, was murdered on Christmas Day 2024, just meters from his home. He had reportedly stepped outside after receiving a phone call when he was ambushed and shot multiple times.
Gardee’s speech to mourners highlighted the inefficiencies in South Africa’s criminal justice system.
“It’s not easy as a parent who is a victim of a similar crime to find yourself comforting others. It was you who comforted us,” he said. “When we see the pastors and this gathering, we remember that we are victims of this crime. We speak from the bottom of our hearts when we say the current government has failed us on the issue of crime.”
He questioned whether police were investigating the suspicious circumstances surrounding Makutu’s murder.
“It’s impossible that someone receives a call, walks about 20 meters, and is met with bullets. The person who made that call must be questioned,” he said.
“We ask the police not to be in a hurry to arrest people. Rushing to arrest will result in having egg on your face. Don’t arrest to investigate but investigate to arrest,” he said.
Gardee singled out Cele for criticism, accusing him of prioritising publicity over proper investigations. “After a year, the truth comes out that you, Bheki Cele, have arrested the wrong individuals, just because you love TV cameras. You want to be famous for being a police leader who works swiftly,” he said.
Gardee also appealed to the community to assist in bringing criminals to justice.
“These criminals are our children, cousins and neighbours. They are our relatives, and we live with them. Nothing is hidden in a community.”
Hillary went missing on April 29, 2022, after leaving her home in Mbombela. Her 3-year-old adopted daughter told police she had seen her mother fighting.
Hillary’s body was found on May 3 on a plantation in Sabie following a tip-off from a passerby. Within days, three suspects were arrested: government employee Sipho Mkhatshwa, 39, ANC hotshot Philemon Lukhele, 47 and security guard Albert Gama, 52.
The three men faced rape and murder charges while awaiting trial but the case took a dramatic turn in August 2023 when Hlabirwa Rassie Nkune, a serial murderer, confessed to Hillary’s killing after being arrested for unrelated crimes. The 36-year-old Nkune revealed he had acted alone, forcing police to release the other suspects.
Gardee has since lodged an R18-million lawsuit against the justice and correctional services ministry, citing negligence.
Meanwhile, the three initially arrested men are suing the state for over R300-million for unlawful arrest, malicious prosecution and defamation.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane did not respond to media questions.
Attempts to contact Cele were also unsuccessful.
