The case of two black women who were 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 last August when they were shot. Their bodies were then allegedly disposed of by being fed to pigs.
A court is now set to decide whether to grant bail to farm owner Zachariah Johannes Olivier, 60, along with his employees Adrian de Wet, 19, and William Musora, 50, as they await trial for murder. The three men have not yet entered a plea, which will happen once the trial begins.
Previous court hearings have drawn protests, with demonstrators demanding that bail be denied. Walter Mathole, the brother of Maria Makgato, has stated that the incident has intensified racial tensions in South Africa, particularly in rural areas, despite apartheid ending 30 years ago.
The accused also face charges of attempted murder for allegedly shooting at Lucia Ndlovu’s husband, who was with the women at the time, as well as possession of an unlicensed firearm. Mabutho Ncube, the survivor, managed to escape and call for help. Days later, police found the decomposing bodies of the two women in a pigsty. Mathole, who was with the officers at the time, described the horrific sight of his sister’s body, partially eaten by the animals.
The victims were reportedly searching for discarded food from consignments of expired or soon-to-expire produce, which were sometimes left at the farm for the pigs. The killing has left Makgato’s family devastated, especially her four sons, the eldest being 22 and the youngest only five. Her eldest son, Ranti Makgato, expressed his grief, describing his mother as loving and hardworking.
The opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party has called for the farm to be shut down, arguing that its products should not be sold due to the alleged crimes. The South African Human Rights Commission has condemned the killings and urged communities to engage in anti-racism dialogues.
Farmer organizations, which largely represent white farmers, argue that rural farming communities feel under threat due to high crime rates. However, there is no evidence that farmers are at greater risk than the general population.
This case is one of several recent incidents that have heightened racial tensions. In Mpumalanga province, a farmer and his security guard were arrested in August for allegedly murdering two men accused of stealing sheep. Their bodies were reportedly burned beyond recognition, and the accused remain in custody while DNA analysis is conducted.
In another incident, a 70-year-old white farmer is accused of running over a six-year-old boy, breaking both his legs, for allegedly taking an orange from his farm in Lutzville, Western Cape province. The bail hearing for Christoffel Stoman is ongoing. The court heard that the child had picked up an orange from the ground while walking with his mother when the farmer allegedly ran him over.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has opposed bail for Stoman, who faces charges of attempted murder and reckless driving. Political parties, including the African Transformation Movement and the Pan Africanist Congress, are calling for his farm to be expropriated following the incident.