Hillary Gardee. Picture: Supplied
CHARGES against the men accused of raping and murdering Hillary Gardee have been provisionally withdrawn.
The accused - Hlabirwa Rassie Nkuna, Sipho Mkhatshwa, Philemon Lukhele and Albert Gama - appeared in the Mpumalanga High Court on Wednesday.
According to reports, the charges were provisionally withdrawn after a witness could not be located.
Gardee’s body was found outside Mbombela (Nelspruit) in May last year.
Gardee, 28, was shot execution style and a bullet was found lodged at the back of her head.
Gardee is the daughter of EFF secretary-general and attorney Godrich Gardee.
Gardee went missing on April 29, when she went shopping in Mbombela. She was with a three-year-old child.
According to her uncle, Moses Mbatha, the three-year-old child was found a street away from their home at 8.30pm.
In a post on Twitter, Godrich slammed the latest developments.
He tweeted: “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down & thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. #RIPHillaryGardee We have a failed state that must be removed from power…!”
"A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down & thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits” #RIPHillaryGardee We have a failed state that must be removed from power....! pic.twitter.com/HIGuHRSB2N
— Godrich Gardee (@GardeeGodrich) April 12, 2023
The National Prosecuting Authority has yet to issue an official statement.