Trial date set for Rassie Nkune’s double murder case
Rassie Nkune will face trial in 2027 for two 2022 murders in Mpumalanga.
Rassie Nkune’s trial for the murders of Nonkululeko Nkosi in Delmas and Hillary Gardee in Mbombela is scheduled for April 26 to May 28, 2027, at the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court.
Nkune appeared in the high court on Friday, December 12, for a pre-trial conference. According to Monica Nyuswa, Mpumalanga spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, the state confirmed it is ready to proceed with the trial, while the defense indicated it would consult with the accused before the trial begins. The court certified the matter as trial-ready.
Nkune is charged with two counts of murder, relating to the deaths of Nkosi and Gardee, which occurred on separate occasions in 2022. Nkosi’s body was found dumped in a ditch in Sundra, while Gardee’s body was discovered in a timber plantation near Rhenosterhoek, along the Lydenburg-Sabie Road outside Mbombela.
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He also faces charges of three counts of kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of a firearm, and possession of ammunition.
Nkune is currently serving two life sentences for premeditated murder. In May 2023, he pleaded guilty to killing his girlfriend, Pretty Mazibuko, and her sister, policewoman Marccia Mazibuko, in KaNyamazane on May 15, 2022.
