Women's bodies fed to pigs: Trial of farmer accused of double murder resumes
Limpopo farmer, Zachariah Johannes Olivier and his employee William Musora face charges of murder after bodies of two murdered women were dumped into a pigsty at a Limpopo farm. Farm manager Rudolph de Wet has become a State witness.
Image: File/NPA
The sensational Limpopo double murder trial, in which two women’s bodies were allegedly dumped in a pigsty, resumes today in the Polokwane High Court.
Farm owner Zachariah Olivier and his employee, William Musora, are facing charges of murder following the brutal killings of Maria Makgato and Lucia Ndlovu at Onvervaght farm in Sebayeng, outside Polokwane.
The case shocked Limpopo residents in August when it emerged in court that the women were allegedly shot and killed before their bodies were disposed of in a pigsty. At the time, Olivier’s other employee, Rudolph De Wet, was also facing charges alongside them.
However, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) later turned De Wet into a Section 204 state witness, granting him indemnity from prosecution provided he gives full and truthful testimony against his co-accused.
NPA Limpopo regional spokesperson Mashudu Malabi confirmed that the State is ready to proceed with evidence when the matter returns to court this week.
“The trial of the pig farmer double murder case will resume in the Limpopo Polokwane High Court. Farm owner Zachariah Olivier and his employee, William Musora, allegedly shot and killed Maria Makgato and Lucia Ndlovu and dumped their bodies in a pigsty at Onvervaght farm in Sebayeng,” said Malabi.
He added that De Wet is expected to play a crucial role for the prosecution.
“The State is ready to proceed with the trial and has turned accused number two, De Wet, to be a Section 204 witness,” Malabi said.
In earlier proceedings reported by IOL in August, the court heard chilling details of how the women’s remains were allegedly disposed of. The revelation that pigs may have been fed human flesh sparked outrage and revived painful memories of other rural killings in Limpopo.
The case has also drawn attention for its complex dynamics inside the courtroom. De Wet’s change in status from accused to state witness is expected to shift the momentum of the trial, with the defence likely to attack his credibility and motives. Legal observers suggest his testimony could make or break the State’s case against Olivier and Musora.
The trial, unfolding against the backdrop of deep public anger, has become one of Limpopo’s most closely watched murder cases in recent years. Community activists have called for justice for Makgato and Ndlovu, saying the brutality of the alleged crime has left families traumatised and villagers fearful.
The trial, which began in August, will on Monday continue before the Polokwane High Court. The trial is scheduled to run until 17 October.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
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