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A white South African farm worker accused of killing two Black women has claimed he was forced to dispose of their bodies by feeding them to pigs, according to legal representatives.
Adrian de Wet, 20, is one of three men charged with the murders of Maria Makgato, 45, and Lucia Ndlovu, 34. The two women were allegedly searching for discarded food on a farm near Polokwane, in Limpopo province, when they were shot and killed in 2024.
De Wet, who was a farm supervisor at the time, has turned state witness. In testimony expected during the trial, he claims that farm owner Zachariah Johannes Olivier, 60, was the one who shot both women, and that he, De Wet, acted under duress when ordered to throw their bodies into a pig enclosure in an apparent effort to destroy evidence.
Both the prosecution and De Wet’s lawyer have confirmed his intent to testify in exchange for full immunity, contingent on the court accepting his version of events.
A third man, William Musora, a 50-year-old Zimbabwean national and fellow farm worker, is also charged in the case. All three face additional charges, including attempted murder—stemming from an alleged shooting at Ms Ndlovu’s husband, who was with the victims at the time—as well as unlawful possession of a firearm and obstruction of justice. Musora also faces immigration-related charges due to his undocumented status.
The gruesome nature of the case and its racial undertones have sparked widespread outrage across South Africa, reigniting tensions around land ownership, inequality, and racial violence—particularly in rural areas where the legacy of apartheid remains deeply entrenched.
Despite the formal end of apartheid over 30 years ago, land ownership in South Africa remains highly unequal, with the vast majority of commercial farmland still owned by white South Africans, while most farm workers are Black and often live in poverty.
Supporters and relatives of the victims packed the Limpopo High Court for the trial’s opening, joined by members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a political party known for its vocal stance on land reform and social justice. Also present in court was Mr Olivier’s wife, who appeared visibly emotional during the proceedings.
The trial has been postponed to next week as the court prepares to hear De Wet’s full testimony.
