During the brief proceedings, a supervisor on the farm turned state witness.
One of the three men accused of killing two women and throwing their bodies in a pigsty in Limpopo has told the court he was forced to feed their bodies to pigs.
Pig farmer Zackariah Olivier, his co-accused Rudolph de Wet, and Zimbabwean national William Musoro returned to the Polokwane High Court on Monday.
Trial
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Mashudu Malabi said the murder case was postponed to Thursday, 07 August 2025, to afford legal representatives an opportunity to consult and prepare for trial.
“The trial will commence on Monday, 11 August 2025. Accused number three (William Musora) has been moved out from the previous attorneys. Now he is going to be represented by Legal Aid South Africa.”
State witness
During the brief proceedings on Monday, the 20-year-old De Wet, a supervisor on the farm, turned state witness, and testified that Olivier shot and killed the two women.
De Wet is expected to testify that he was “under duress” when he was forced to throw their bodies into the pig enclosure, according to his lawyer and the state prosecutor.
Charges against De Wet are expected to be dropped when he begins his testimony as a state witness.
[WATCH] A Limpopo pig farmer, Zacharia Olivier, and his two workers, accused of killing two women and disposing of their bodies in a pigsty, had their trial postponed to Thursday in the High Court in Polokwane. pic.twitter.com/q30h4WPCTN
— SABC News (@SABCNews) August 4, 2025
ALSO READ: Pig farm murder case in Limpopo set for trial in August
Charges
The 50-year-old Musora and the 60-year-old Olivier have yet to enter a plea and remain behind bars.
Olivier, De Wet and Musora are facing two counts of murder, attempted murder, defeating the administration of justice, possession of an unlicensed firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition.
Musora, who is a Zimbabwean national, faces an additional charge of contravening the Immigration Act.
In December, a visibly emotional Olivier shook his head when Magistrate Ntilane Felleng announced the postponement of his bail application, meaning he spent Christmas behind bars.
Murder
Olivier, De Wet and Musora are accused of killing Maria Makgato and Lucia Ndlovu before dumping their bodies in a pigsty at Onvervaght farm in Sebayeng, outside Polokwane, in August.
It is the state’s case that Makgato and Ndlovu went to the farm to collect expired food that the pigs were eating.
They were then allegedly fatally shot and dumped into the pigsty, where the animals consumed their bodies.
ALSO READ: Limpopo pigsty murders: Two accused abandon bid for bail
