Zuko Komisa

- Suspended Commissioner Daphney Manamela has alleged that high-ranking police generals protected a suspect and sabotaged the Hillary Gardee murder probe.
- Godrich Gardee maintains these claims confirm a suspected cover-up and is demanding that senior officers face criminal charges for defeating the ends of justice.
- The case has been marred by controversy, including a refusal to involve the Hawks and the eventual confession of suspect Rassie Nkune while in custody for other murders.
The family of murdered teenager Hillary Gardee has reacted with outrage following explosive allegations of police misconduct and high-level interference in the investigation of her death.
Godrich Gardee, speaking for the family, stated that the recent revelations confirm their long-held suspicions regarding a deliberate cover-up within the South African Police Service (SAPS).
The controversy centers on claims made by the suspended Mpumalanga Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Daphney Manamela.
During a briefing on 19 April 2026, Manamela alleged that senior officers protected a key suspect, Rassie Nkune, while he was on the run for Hillary’s 2022 murder.
According to the claims, a Major General actively helped Nkune evade arrest and falsely claimed to be the lead investigator to block the actual detectives from doing their work.
In light of these disclosures, the Gardee family is calling for senior generals to be charged with defeating the ends of justice.
They have also highlighted the SAPS’s previous refusal to hand the case over to the Hawks, despite the family’s legal efforts.
The family now intends to demand the telephone records of high-ranking officials from the period of the investigation to expose the full extent of the alleged interference.
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