The Gardee family is taking the South African Police Service (SAPS) to court, claiming R19 million in damages for pain and suffering following the kidnapping and murder of their daughter, Hillary Gardee.
Court papers allege that a vehicle impounded by police was used in the crime. The family claims the vehicle had previously been impounded after it was allegedly stolen and linked to another violent crime, but was unlawfully released.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Mpumalanga leader and Gardee family spokesperson, Collen Sedibe, says the family believes police complicity enabled the crime.
Sedibe says, “It has now emerged four years later, that the accused Rassie Nkuna, was able to commit the crime of killing our daughter and other four people, because of SAPS officer complicity- and the South African Police enabled the crime, through corrupt release of the instrument of crime, which is the car or the vehicle, that was used to kidnap our daughter.”
Sedibe says the family is seeking more than financial compensation.
He says, “Well, money will not buy the life of our daughter, it will not bring her back, it’s just a process to teach the police a lesson because if it was not for the corrupt availability of the instrument of crime, which is that stolen vehicle, five lives were not going to be lost, including that of our daughter. So we are saying the SAPS minister is vicariously liable for employing criminals who release impounded stolen cars to criminals and let criminals use it for that crimes, including the crime of killing our daughter,” Sedibe adds.
PODCAST|
About the Author
