The four life imprisonment terms handed to convicted serial killer Rassie Nkuna have brought a measure of justice to the family of murdered couple Sabeiliwe and Lucky Mogashoa, but another family continues to wait for answers.
Nkuna was sentenced to four life terms in the Pretoria High Court on Wednesday for the March 2022 murders of the Mogashoa couple, who were killed in front of their two young children. Former police officer Jacob Chego, who was convicted as Nkuna’s accomplice, also received four life sentences.
The sentencing closes one chapter in Nkuna’s violent criminal history, but he is still accused of the murder of Hillary Gardee, the daughter of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) deputy president Godrich Gardee.
Gardee has spent years waiting for justice for his daughter, whose murder shocked South Africa in 2022.
Hillary, a 28-year-old Information Technology (IT) graduate, business owner, and devoted young mother, disappeared in April 2022 after leaving a shopping centre in Mbombela, Mpumalanga. Her body was later discovered in a timber plantation outside the city.
Nkuna is accused of killing Hillary and is expected to stand trial for the case next year. His trial has faced several delays, including changes in legal representation.
The Gardee family has also raised serious concerns about the handling of the investigation.
In April, the family asked the Madlanga Commission to summon police officers over allegations of interference in the investigation into Hillary’s murder. Among the allegations was that a senior police officer had allegedly communicated directly with Nkuna and assisted him in evading arrest. The family also raised concerns about the handling of forensic evidence and alleged attempts to undermine the investigation.
Godrich Gardee has continued his fight for answers, escalating the matter to President Cyril Ramaphosa and calling for allegations of police interference to be properly investigated.
For the Mogashoa family, Wednesday’s sentencing was a different moment.
Sabeiliwe, who was six months pregnant when she was killed, and Lucky were murdered after Nkuna and Chego allegedly lured them over to their vehicle. Their children, then aged eight and one, witnessed the killings.
The court heard that the couple had been trying to recover their BMW after it was stolen. Evidence showed that Chego, a former police officer, helped facilitate the release of the vehicle from a police pound using fraudulent documentation. Nkuna then contacted the family, claiming he could assist them in recovering the vehicle.
The case exposed the disturbing role of a former police officer in the crime.
SAPS Acting National Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane commended the investigation team, particularly Sergeant Nkosingphile Mathenjwa of the Gauteng Murder and Robbery Unit and members of the Gauteng Tracking Teams.
Dimpane said the involvement of a former police officer was deeply concerning because SAPS members were entrusted with protecting lives and upholding the law.
“We will not protect members who choose to break the law,” Dimpane said, stressing that police officers involved in criminal conduct must face the consequences of their actions.
The Mogashoa family welcomed the sentences.
Sabeiliwe’s parents, Rachel Zwane and Dumisani Zwane, were in court and thanked the police and investigating team for their perseverance in ensuring that the case reached its conclusion.
But the pain remains particularly raw for the couple’s children.
SAPS has shared, with the family’s permission, an emotional voice note from their youngest daughter, who was only one when her parents were murdered.
In the recording, the child speaks about missing her mother and father, while her grandmother explains that police worked tirelessly to find the “bad man” who took her parents away.
The recording has become a stark reminder of the human cost behind the criminal case.
For the Gardee family, however, the wait continues.
Nkuna’s conviction and sentencing for the Mogashoa murders does not resolve the case involving Hillary,
Until then, Godrich Gardee remains a father waiting for the justice that has finally come to another family whose lives were shattered by Nkuna.
The four life sentences therefore represent both an ending and a reminder: while the Mogashoa family can begin to close one painful chapter, the questions surrounding Hillary Gardee’s death remain unanswered.
