Trial of SA farmer who shot dead Zim woman and fed her to pigs postponed

Olivier (kaki jacket) during his court appearance at the Mankweng Magistrate court recently-PicCred NPA Limpopo

Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau

The trial of a South African farmer and his two employees who killed two women among them a Zimbabwean and fed them to pigs has been further postponed to between October 6 to 17 at the Mankweng Magistrates’ Court.

The accused, Zachariah Olivier (60), a farmer, and his two employees, Adriaan De Wet (19) and William Musoro (45), a Zimbabwean national were arrested after committing the offense in August last year.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson for the Limpopo Division, Ms Mashudu Dzhangi Malabi, said the matter was pushed to a further date on Monday this week.

The persons are facing 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 trial of 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 has been set for 6 to 17 October at the Mankweng Magistrate’s Court.”

Olivier and his accomplices were arrested following the discovery of the decomposed bodies Makgato and Ndlovu’s in a pigsty on a farm in Sebayeng, outside Mankweng, on 20 August last year.

Ndlovu’s body has since been repatriated and buried in Zimbabwe with support of the country’s Embassy in South Africa.

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 recently told journalists 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 Makgato and Ndlovu sustained gunshot wounds, and a 47-year-old foreign national who was with them was also shot and hospitalised.