The family of Hillary Gardee has filed an urgent application at the high court in Pretoria to compel the police to speed up the arrest of other people suspected to have been responsible for the kidnapping and murder of their child.
Hillary, the daughter of EFF former secretary-general Godrich Gardee, went missing while shopping with her three-year-old daughter at the Nelspruit CBD on April 28.
Her lifeless body was found dumped near a pine plantation 40km outside Mbombela five days later with a gunshot wound to the head. The toddler was safely reunited with the family.
Sipho Mkhatshwa, Philemon Lukhele and Alberts Gama were arrested few days after the murder. They face charges of conspiracy to commit murder, murder, rape and kidnapping, among others.
In the application, filed on Tuesday, the family says it wants the case transferred to the Hawks. Family spokesperson Sinawo Thambo said this stems from failed efforts by the family to offer help to the police’s detective unit.
“Now that the prosecution has announced additional charges of conspiracy to murder, the case assumes all the hallmarks of an organised crime watch for which investigations reside in the competency of the Hawks,” said Thambo.
Thambo said the family’s legal team intends to apply for an in-camera hearing due to sensitive evidence alluded to in the papers.
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