The case of two Black women allegedly shot and fed to pigs by a white farmer and two of his workers has sparked outrage in South Africa.
Maria Makgato, 45, and Lucia Ndlovu, 34, were reportedly searching for food on a farm near Polokwane in Limpopo province in August when they were shot. Their bodies were then allegedly disposed of in an attempt to destroy evidence.
A court has started hearings on 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 upcoming murder trial. The suspects have yet to enter a plea, which will occur at a later date.
Protesters gathered outside the court in Polokwane, holding signs demanding that bail be denied. Inside, the courtroom was filled with family members of both the victims and the accused. Magistrate Ntilane Felleng approved a media request to film the proceedings, citing public interest. After several hours, she postponed the bail hearing until November 6 to allow for further investigations, keeping the suspects in custody.
Walter Mathole, Makgato’s brother, told the BBC that the incident has heightened racial tensions between Black and white communities in South Africa, particularly in rural areas, despite the end of apartheid 30 years ago.
In addition to murder charges, the three men face attempted murder charges for shooting at Ndlovu’s husband, Mabutho Ncube, who survived the incident on August 17 by crawling to safety and calling for help. Ncube later reported the incident to the police, who discovered the decomposing bodies of his wife and Makgato in the pigsty days later.
The group had gone to the farm searching for edible food from expired produce, which was sometimes fed to the pigs. Makgato’s family is devastated by her death, especially her four sons, aged 22 to five. Ranti Makgato, her oldest son, expressed his grief and hoped the alleged killers would be denied bail.
The opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has called for the farm’s closure, stating it poses a danger to consumers.
The South African Human Rights Commission condemned the killings and urged for anti-racism dialogues within affected communities.Recent incidents have further inflamed racial tensions in South Africa.
In Mpumalanga, a farmer and his security guard were arrested for the alleged murder of two men accused of sheep theft. In another case, a 70-year-old farmer is accused of driving over a six-year-old boy for allegedly stealing an orange.
The bail hearing for the farmer, Christoffel Stoman, is ongoing, with the state opposing his bail application.Political parties are calling for the expropriation of Stoman’s farm following the incident.