A White farm owner in South Africa stands trial for the gruesome killing of two Black women.
Authorities say he and two workers shot the women, then fed their bodies to pigs.
Zachariah Olivier, 60, owns the farm in Sebayeng, near Mankweng, in Limpopo province.
He appeared in court Monday, August 4, with his co-accused: Adrian De Wet, 19, and William Musoro, 45.
De Wet worked as a supervisor. Musoro, originally from another country, worked on the farm without legal documents. Police described him as “an illegal immigrant.”
The court charged all three men with two counts of murder, attempted murder, possession of illegal firearms, and trying to obstruct justice. Musoro also faces immigration charges.
The case began on August 17, 2024. A 45-year-old South African woman and a 35-year-old foreign woman went to the farm to collect expired dairy products.
A 47-year-old man, who said one of the victims was his wife, went with them.
That man survived a gunshot and later spoke to police.
He said the farm workers opened fire when they arrived. The women died on the scene. He escaped and went to the hospital.
Police later found the women’s decomposing bodies in a pigsty on the farm. Officers arrested Olivier, De Wet, and Musoro on August 20.
The suspects have not yet entered a plea. The judge postponed the hearing to Thursday.
The killings have shocked many South Africans.
Activists and citizens are demanding justice. They say this case highlights deep racial divisions that still exist in the country.
Other violent farm killings have made headlines in South Africa.
In Mpumalanga, four men, including a young farm manager, face charges for killing three suspected sheep thieves last year.
In 2019, a court sentenced two White farmers for killing a 16-year-old Black boy over stolen sunflowers.
A higher court later overturned that ruling, citing weak evidence.
Despite these high-profile cases, farm murders remain rare.
Police recorded nearly 20,000 murders across South Africa between April and December 2024. Farm-related killings made up less than 0.2% of that total.
Still, these crimes spark intense debates, especially when race plays a role.
The trial continues this week in Limpopo.
