The family of slain Mpumalanga woman Hillary Gardee has escalated its fight for justice, formally appealing to President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene and expand the scope of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System, commonly known as the Madlanga Commission.
Hillary Gardee was the daughter of Godrich Gardee, the Deputy President of the Economic Freedom Fighters. Her murder in April 2022 shocked the country after she was kidnapped outside a shopping complex in Mbombela. Her body was later found in a bushy area days after her disappearance. Police confirmed she had been assaulted before she was killed, a case that triggered national outrage and demands for justice.
In a detailed legal submission dated 20 April 2026, attorneys representing the Gardee family argue that new allegations made by former Mpumalanga Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Manamela, must be urgently incorporated into the Commission’s proceedings.
The request follows a media briefing delivered by Manamela on 19 April in which she outlined allegations of corruption, interference and collusion within the South African Police Service. The disclosures, now submitted as part of a formal dossier, raise serious concerns about the integrity of investigations into politically sensitive and high profile cases, including that of Hillary Gardee.
According to the family’s legal team, these allegations fall squarely within the Commission’s mandate. They argue that only a full and transparent inquiry, where witnesses testify under oath, can properly test the claims and uncover the truth.
The family is calling for Manamela to be summoned to testify and present evidence supporting her allegations. They have also urged President Ramaphosa to exercise his executive authority to ensure the Commission is able to fully investigate the claims, warning that time constraints may prevent a thorough inquiry.
The submission highlights several allegations linked to the Gardee case. These include claims that senior SAPS officials interfered with the investigation and that a high ranking officer communicated with murder suspect Rassie Nkune while he was evading arrest and may have assisted him.
Further allegations point to possible tampering with key forensic evidence, including concerns about the handling of DNA samples. The family’s lawyers also claim there were attempts to delay or undermine the investigation despite the existence of incriminating evidence.
In addition, former Police Minister Bheki Cele is alleged to have summoned investigators to Pretoria to account for progress in the case. This has raised concerns about possible political interference in an active criminal investigation.
The Gardee family has also requested that several senior SAPS officials be called to testify before the Commission. These include Major General Dorah Xaba, Major General Botsotso Moukangwe and Colonel DJ Malope, who are all implicated in the allegations.
The family maintains that Hillary Gardee’s case reflects broader systemic failures within the criminal justice system. They argue that the alleged interference and misconduct delayed justice and may have affected both the criminal case and ongoing civil proceedings against the state.
The attorneys state that the allegations, if proven, would point to serious violations that undermine the rule of law and public confidence in law enforcement institutions.
The Commission, chaired by Acting Deputy Chief Justice Mandisa Madlanga, was established to investigate allegations of corruption and interference within South Africa’s criminal justice system. The Gardee family’s request places pressure on both the Commission and the Presidency to act on the new information.
There has been no public response yet from either the Presidency or the Commission.
The family says its request is driven by the need for accountability and transparency in the investigation into Hillary Gardee’s death, as well as the broader functioning of the criminal justice system. African Times contacted President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, for confirmation whether the Presidency received the letter or not. At the time of print, no comment was received.
