“I am too young for this”. These are the heartbreaking words by Hillary Gardee’s boyfriend. Muxe Zitha revealed to The Star that he is depressed and he struggles to fall asleep since the news of Hillary’s brutal murder broke. Zitha, a 28-year-old man from Thulamahashe in Mpumalanga says all the lies that are being spread about him are causing him more heartache. The devastated Muxe was responding the news that he was planning to sue the Police after they “assaulted” him during the questioning. He had been taken in by the police the day Hillary’s body was found abandoned outside Nelspruit.
Muxe further revealed sensitive details on how scared is. He has been to doctors and they have advised him consider counselling. “I need counselling because I may cope or may adjust my anger because of what has happened. I am too young for this, even when people do call or make posts on social media, I am still shocked,” Zitha broke down. Muxe further revealed that he is now afraid of being alone. What make it mollie difficult for him is that he was always with Hillary. They were inseparable as they were working together. “I am not free and not safe because I don’t know what is going on,” Zitha told The Star with a sigh.
Meanwhile, police watchdog Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) is investigating allegations of assault of another 26-year-old man who claimed he was punched and brutalised by cops who were searching for then missing Hillary Gardee. Njabulo Magudulela says he lives a few streets away from Gardee’s home in KaMagugu, Mpumalanga. The young man received a rude awakening from a group of plain-clothed police who stormed his home two days after Gardee’s disappearance on Friday April 29. Police told him they received information about a person who was being pushed into a car matching Njabulo’s mother’s Toyota Etios. It was later established that it was Njabulo who was pushed into the car as he was too drunk to drive.
Image: Njabulo during his arrest( Screengrab)
“They punched me in the face and one of the officers put his boot against my neck while I was on the ground. They kept asking me about a Hillary Gardee whom I did not know until her pictures started circulating in our neighbourhood WhatsApp group and social media that weekend”, Njabulo told Sowetan.