Emotions high as gruesome farm murder accused appear | Daily Sun

From left: Murder accused Zacariah Olivier, Adriaan De Wet and William Musoro appeared in the Mankweng Magistrate Court on Friday.

EMOTIONS were running high in the Mankweng Magistrates Court when three suspects accused of fatally shooting Maria Makgato (47) and Lucia Ndlovu (34) appeared.

The decomposed bodies of the victims were found in a pigsty, and the pigs had allegedly started to feed on them.

Residents picketed outside the magistrate court, calling for the accused’s heads.

On Friday, 30 August, Zacariah Olivier (60), Adriaan De Wet (19), and William Musoro (45) appeared before the court for a formal bail application. Their case was postponed to 10 September.

The son of one of the victims, Maria, Mapaila Makgato, was visibly inconsolable when the accused emerged in the dock. The three are accused of fatally shooting Maria and Lucia and allegedly feeding their bodies to pigs.

Another male victim escaped the incident with injuries. The court was attended by government officials, including Minister of Social Development Tolashe, ANCWL, uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) Party Women’s League, and the Economic Freedom Fighters, among others.

The accused face charges of murder, attempted murder, possession of an illegal firearm, possession of illegal ammunition, defeating the ends of justice, and accused three also faces an additional charge of contravention of the Immigration Act.

The case was postponed to give the defence time to access police dockets, accused one’s police statement, and to have proper consultations with the three accused.

The defence, Advocate Jacobs Venter standing for accused one, argued that he wasn’t given access to his client for consultations and that the statement made to the police by his client was made without a legal representative.

Advocate Jodi Meyer, standing for accused two, also indicated that she wasn’t given equitable time to prepare her client for the bail application.

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Chanel Brown, the legal representative for accused three, said she also needs time to prepare her client.

Standing in as a watching brief for the family, lawyer Kgagudi Morota, CEO of Black Forum South Africa, said: “We’re satisfied with how the state prosecution was able to defend this case, especially when the defence wanted to access the police dockets and the statement made by accused number one. We are also happy that the prosecution will appeal the court decision to allow accused number two to access the statement of accused number one.

“However, we are devastated at the manner in which these racially motivated cases remain prevalent on farms. As we are here in Mankweng Magistrates Court, we also have another case in Middleburg, Mpumalanga, where two men were beaten to death by two farm owners. Inhumane work conditions on farms still persist, and some still have torture rooms for our own people,” she said.

Speaking to Daily Sun, minister Tolashe, who immediately proceeded to visit the victims’ families after the court case, said they’re going to ensure that the children of Maria finish school.

“This incident’s unheard of, it’s inhumane, and even during the dark days of this country, we never heard a case of this nature. What frustrates us is the fact that the accused don’t show remorse.

“We’re going to ensure that one of Maria’s kids becomes the head of the family; the court will declare which one that will be. Social development will then indirectly work with the family to enforce all necessary interventions to ensure the family is well taken care of. We will work with the relevant department to make sure that the family is well looked after by the government,” said Tolashe.

ANC Women’s League in Mankweng, Marble Kalembo, said: “We want the magistrate to deny the accused bail. We’re here, and we’re saying no bail must be granted. The magistrate must also ensure that he’s going to give these perpetrators, who don’t deserve to live with people, a hefty sentence and throw away the keys.”

Dekeledi Mehlapi (35) from Sebayeng said: “We’re very angry with what happened to these two women, particularly because it’s Women’s Month. It can’t be that women are being killed like flies. It can’t be that black people are still killed like animals, 30 years into democracy. We’re simply calling for the law to take its course.”