The killing of two black women by a white farmer, Zachariah Johannes Olivier, and his employees, 19-year-old Adrian de Wet, and William Musora, 50, who allegedly shot and fed the women to pigs has sparked widespread outrage in South Africa.
According to BBC reports on Wednesday, 45-year-old Maria Makgato, and Lucia Ndlovu, 34, were reportedly searching for food on a farm near Polokwane in Limpopo province when they were shot in August.
The killers then allegedly fed the bodies to pigs in an attempt to conceal the crime.
They are being tried in a court in Polokwane.
The three accused also face charges of attempted murder for allegedly shooting at Ndlovu’s husband, Mabutho Ncube, who managed to survive the attack.
Ncube said he reported the incident to the police, who later found the decomposed bodies of his wife and Makgato in the farm’s pigsty.
The court is yet to grant bail to the farm owner, Olivier, 60, and his two employees, de Wet and Musora as they await a murder trial.
However, none of the men have entered a formal plea yet.
BBC reports that protests erupted outside the courtroom in Polokwane, with demonstrators holding placards and demanding that the suspects be denied bail.
Families of the victims and the accused filled the benches inside the courtroom, as Magistrate Ntilane Felleng allowed media coverage, citing public interest in the case.
The bail hearing was postponed to November 6, 2024, to allow for further investigations, meaning the three suspects remain in custody.
Makgato’s brother, Walter Mathole, said the incident has reignited racial tensions between black and white communities, particularly in rural areas.
Despite the end of apartheid 30 years ago, deep divisions remain in some parts of the country.
According to the BBC, the incident has devastated the families of the victims, especially Makgato’s four sons, who range in age from five to 22.
Her eldest son, Ranti Makgato, tearfully told the BBC, “My mum died a painful death, she was a loving mother who did everything for us. We lacked nothing because of her.
“I think I’ll sleep better at night if the alleged killers are denied bail.”
South Africa’s opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters, has called for the farm to be shut down, declaring, “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 condemned the killings and urged for anti-racism dialogues to heal affected communities.
The case comes amid other racially charged incidents in South Africa, including the recent arrest of a farmer and his guard for allegedly killing two men in Mpumalanga, and another case involving a 70-year-old white farmer accused of running over a six-year-old boy for stealing an orange.
