A South African farm worker testified in court about being compelled by his employer to feed the bodies of two women to pigs after they were shot. Adrian De Wet, 21, stated that his boss, Zachariah Johannes Olivier, instructed him to dispose of the bodies in a pig enclosure, claiming, “when pigs are hungry enough, they’ll eat anything.” De Wet admitted to participating in the shooting alongside Olivier before being directed to assist in hiding the bodies.
The victims, Maria Makgato, 45, and Lucia Ndlovu, 34, were allegedly killed while foraging for food on a farm near Polokwane in Limpopo province last year. Olivier and another individual, William Musora, are facing murder charges in connection with their deaths. Previously, De Wet had been accused of murder himself, but the charges were dropped after he agreed to testify for the prosecution, asserting he was acting under duress.
During his testimony at the Polokwane High Court, De Wet recounted how he and Olivier armed themselves with hunting rifles and waited for intruders on the night of August 17, 2024. After hearing noises, they fired shots and later found a woman’s lifeless body. The next morning, they discovered the corpse of another woman nearby. De Wet claimed that they disposed of both bodies in the pigsty, where pigs were reported to have eaten portions of the remains.
Images presented in court displayed substantial damage to the bodies. Prosecutor George Sekhukhune questioned De Wet about the rationale behind placing the bodies in the pigsty, to which he responded that it was to eliminate evidence. Additionally, De Wet stated that Olivier had destroyed their firearms and disposed of the remnants in a borehole.
The proceedings have incited considerable public outrage in South Africa, intensifying existing racial tensions, particularly in rural areas. The case continues with further cross-examination of the defense scheduled for next Wednesday.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crl5gk47j3do?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss