Ofure Akhigbe
The gruesome murder trial of pig farmer Zachariah Olivier and his employee William Musora resumed on Tuesday before the Polokwane High Court, in a case that has horrified the nation with allegations that two women were shot and their bodies fed to pigs to conceal the crime.
Earlier in the week, the State formally withdrew charges against co-accused Adriaan Rudolph De Wet after he agreed to testify under Section 204 of South Africa’s Criminal Procedure Act. Under this provision, De Wet will be granted immunity only if the court finds his testimony to be truthful, frank, and honest.
During earlier proceedings, De Wet told the court that Olivier forced him to help dispose of the victims’ bodies in a pigsty after the shootings. Both Olivier and Musora have denied any involvement in the killings.
The victims, identified as Maria Makgato and Lucia Ndlovu, were reportedly scavenging for expired dairy products on Olivier’s farm near Polokwane when the incident occurred. A third person—Ndlovu’s husband—was allegedly shot at but survived.
Following De Wet’s agreement to testify, Olivier’s defence requested a postponement to investigate the new evidence. The case is scheduled to continue between 6 and 17 October 2025.
The trial has attracted widespread public attention and outrage, reigniting debate over rural justice, racial inequality, and farmworker rights in South Africa.