White farmer accused of feeding black women to pigs on trial in South Africa
White farmer accused of feeding black women to pigs on trial in South Africa
A white South African farmer and his two employees accused of shooting dead two black women and feeding their bodies to pigs have gone on trial for their murders.
Maria Makgato, 45, and Lucia Ndlovu, 34, were allegedly looking for food on the farm near Polokwane in South Africa’s northern Limpopo province last year when they were killed.
Their bodies were then alleged to have been given to pigs in an apparent attempt to dispose of the evidence.
Farm owner Zachariah Johannes Olivier, 60, and his employees Adrian de Wet, 19, and William Musora, 50, are yet to enter a plea and remain behind bars.
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The case has sparked outrage across South Africa, exacerbating racial tensions in the country.
Such tension is especially rife in rural areas, despite the end of the racist system of apartheid more than 30 years ago. Most private farmland remains in the hands of the white minority, while most farm workers are black and poorly paid, fuelling resentment among the black population, while many white farmers complain of high crime rates.
The three men also face charges of attempted murder for shooting at Ms Ndlovu’s husband, who was with the women at the farm – as well as possession of an unlicensed firearm and defeating the ends of justice.
Mr Musora, a Zimbabwean national, faces an additional charge under South Africa’s Immigration Act over his status as an illegal immigrant.
As the trial was about to start, the Limpopo High Court was packed with supporters and relatives of the victims.
Members of opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters, which has previously called for the farm to be shut down, were also present in the courtroom.
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