A case involving the alleged murder of two black women by a white farmer and two of his workers has sparked outrage in South Africa.
Maria Makgato, 45, and Lucia Ndlovu, 34, were reportedly shot while searching for food on a farm near Polokwane in the Limpopo province in August. It is claimed that their bodies were subsequently fed to pigs in an attempt to destroy evidence.
A court has begun proceedings to determine whether to grant bail to the farm owner, Zachariah Johannes Olivier, 60, and his employees, Adrian de Wet, 19, and William Musora, 50, ahead of their murder trial. The three men have not yet entered a plea, which will occur once the trial commences.
Outside the Polokwane court, protesters gathered, holding signs demanding that bail be denied to the suspects.
The courtroom was filled with both the victims’ families and those of the accused. Magistrate Ntilane Felleng agreed to a request for media coverage of the proceedings, citing the public interest. After several hours, she postponed the bail hearing until November 6 to allow for further investigations, meaning the suspects will remain in custody.
Walter Mathole, Ms. Makgato’s brother, stated that the incident has heightened racial tensions between black and white South Africans, particularly in rural areas, despite the end of apartheid 30 years ago.
In addition to murder charges, the three men also face charges of attempted murder for allegedly shooting at Ms. Ndlovu’s husband, who was present with the women at the farm, as well as possession of an unlicensed firearm.
Mabutho Ncube survived the attack on the evening of August 17, managed to crawl to safety, and called for medical assistance. He reported the incident to the police, who later discovered the decomposing bodies of his wife and Ms. Makgato in the pigsty.
Mr. Mathole described the horrific scene he witnessed alongside police: his sister’s body partially devoured by pigs. The group had reportedly gone to the farm seeking food from batches of expired or soon-to-expire produce, which were sometimes discarded and fed to the pigs.
The family of Ms. Makgato is devastated by her death, especially her four sons, aged between 22 and 5. Her eldest son, Ranti Makgato, expressed his grief, saying, “My mum died a painful death. She was a loving mother who did everything for us. We lacked nothing because of her.” He added that he would feel more at peace if the alleged killers were denied bail.
The opposition party, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), has called for the farm’s closure. They stated, “The EFF cannot stand by while products from this farm continue to be sold, as they pose a danger to consumers.”
The South African Human Rights Commission has condemned the killings and called for anti-racism dialogues within affected communities.
Groups representing predominantly white farmers claim that farming communities feel targeted in a country plagued by high crime rates, although there is no evidence suggesting farmers are at greater risk than the general population.
Two additional incidents have recently increased racial tensions. In Mpumalanga, a farmer and his security guard were arrested in August for allegedly murdering two men accused of sheep theft on their farm. Their bodies were burned beyond recognition, and the suspects remain in custody as DNA analysis of the ashes is conducted.
In another case, a 70-year-old white farmer is accused of running over a six-year-old boy who was allegedly stealing an orange on his property, resulting in broken legs for the child.
The court proceedings for Christoffel Stoman, from Lutzville in Western Cape, are ongoing. The mother of the boy witnessed the incident as they were passing the farm on their way to buy groceries.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) announced that the farmer faces charges of attempted murder and reckless driving, opposing his bail application.
Political parties such as the African Transformation Movement and the Pan Africanist Congress have called for the expropriation of Mr. Stoman’s farm in light of the incident.
