Hillary Gardee murder trial set to resume in Mbombela


The trial of the man accused of kidnapping and killing Hillary Gardee is set to resume in the Mpumalanga High Court in Mbombela on Tuesday.

The trial was postponed three times last month.

This after the accused, Rassie Nkune, terminated the services of his legal aid lawyer, citing a breakdown in their relationship.

The court had sought to allow him to consult with a new legal aid lawyer, who is expected to be available on Monday.

Nkune faces 12 charges, including the kidnapping and murder of Hillary Gardee, daughter of Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) Deputy President Godrich Gardee, in 2022.

Her body was found near a timber plantation outside Mbombela.

Nkune, who is serving two life sentences for murdering his girlfriend and her sister in the same year, is set to reunite with a former legal aid representative as his trial resumes.

The trial is expected to last six weeks.