Three men, Zachariah Johannes Olivier, Andrian Rudolph de Wet, and William Musora, have been charged with the gruesome murders of two women, Locadia Ndlovu and Maria Makgatho, whose bodies were allegedly fed to pigs on a farm. The men appeared in court on Tuesday, September 10, in Limpopo, a province in northern South Africa. Prosecutors are seeking to keep them in custody until the conclusion of their trial.
Zachariah Johannes Olivier, the farm owner, Andrian Rudolph de Wet, the farm supervisor, and William Musora, a worker, face charges including two counts of premeditated murder, one count of attempted murder, and possession of an unlicensed firearm. Musora, who is originally from Zimbabwe, also faces charges for being in the country unlawfully.
The incident began in early August when a dairy company truck delivered potentially expired goods to Olivier’s farm, which reportedly prompted Ndlovu and Makgatho to trespass in an attempt to collect the discarded items. Both women were shot and killed during the incident. A man accompanying them was injured but managed to crawl to a nearby road, where he called for help. His account led police to the farm, where they discovered the decomposing bodies of the women in a pigsty.
The case has sparked outrage, with various political parties protesting outside the Mankweng Magistrates Court, demanding that the accused be denied bail and receive the maximum sentence if found guilty. The South African Human Rights Commission has called for calm, urging the public not to resort to vigilante justice.
Violent crimes on South African farms have been a long-standing issue, involving both the killing of farmers by criminals and abuses against farm workers. The case against Olivier, de Wet, and Musora is set to continue next month.