South Africa farmer, two workers to stand trial over pigsty murders of two women

Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge BureauThe trial of a South African farmer and his two employees — who were arrested last year after police discovered two bodies, one believed to be that of a Zimbabwean woman, dumped in a pigsty — has been set for 11 August at the Mankweng Magistrates’ Court.The accused are Zachariah Olivier (60), a farmer, and his two employees, Adriaan De Wet (19) and William Musoro (45), a Zimbabwean national.National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson for the Limpopo Division, Ms Mashudu Dzhangi Malabi, said on Monday that the accused persons appeared in the Mankweng Magistrates’ Court on charges of two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.Other charges include defeating the ends of justice and contravention of the Immigration Act (in respect of Musoro, an alleged illegal immigrant).“The pig farmer murder case was postponed to Thursday (7 August 2025) to afford legal representatives the opportunity to consult and prepare for trial. The trial will commence on Monday (11 August 2025),” she said.“Farm owner Zachariah Olivier, his employees Rudolph De Wet and William Musora, allegedly shot and killed Maria Makgato and Lucia Ndlovu and dumped their bodies in a pigsty at Onvervaght Farm in Sebayeng last year.”The suspects were arrested after the discovery of the decomposed bodies of two women in a pigsty on a farm in Sebayeng, outside Mankweng, on 20 August last year.It is understood that the arrests followed a thorough investigation by the Provincial Tracking Team and the Murder and Robbery Unit.Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malasela Ledwaba said recently that investigations began when a 45-year-old South African woman went missing after visiting the farm on 17 August, accompanied by a 35-year-old foreign national woman.He said both women sustained gunshot wounds, and a 47-year-old foreign national man who was with them was also shot and hospitalised.Share on FacebookPost on XFollow usSave

Originally published on Zimbabwe Herald

Source: Zimbabwe Herald