Mduduzi Gama, Philemon Lukhele and Sipho Mkhatshwa are accused of the robbery, rape and murder of Hillary Gardee. Picture: Oupa Mokoena/African News Agency (ANA)
Tshwarelo Hunter Mogakane
Pretoria - The bail application of Albert Gama, 52, in the Hillary Gardee murder case was postponed on Monday following the news magistrate Edward Horn had taken ill.
This was yet another postponement in the case. The case was postponed to August 16.
Gardee went missing in April. Her body was discovered outside a plantation kilometres away from her home in Mbombela a few days later.
Gama's lawyers were unhappy because they had brought a witness, his brother, from Durban to testify.
Last week, Sipho Mkhatshwa, 39, was denied bail when he appeared in the same court.
The court accepted arguments from the State there was a potential of interference with witnesses and a possibility Mkhatshwa may flee to eSwatini, where he had relatives.
Philemon Lukhele, 47, has not applied for bail after all three initially abandoned their bail applications at the beginning of the case.
Mkhatshwa worked as an Integrated Development Plan facilitator in the City of Ekurhuleni’s strategy and corporate planning department.
He was arrested on May 6 after allegedly consulting a sangoma to cleanse him from a spiritual dark cloud linked to killing a person.
The sangoma blew the whistle, which led to Mkhatshwa’s arrest, and later that of Lukhele and Gama.
The three face charges of kidnapping, rape and murder.
Pretoria News