Protective custody for accused-turned-witness in pig farm murder case
The Onverwacht pig farm double murder trial will continue in October, with one accused now set to testify against the main suspect.
POLOKWANE – The continuation of the Onverwacht pig farm double murder trial has been set for October 6, with the second accused now serving as a state witness.
Read more: Limpopo pig farm murder: Accused turns state witness
Rudolph de Wet, a former supervisor on the farm of the main accused, Zachariah Olivier, will be placed in protective custody until the trial concludes.
De Wet claims he was coerced into participating in the killings of Maria Makgato and foreign national Lucodia Ndlovu.
Read more: Limpopo pig farm murder: Charges dropped against state witness De Wet
Another man, William Musora, an undocumented worker on the farm, also faces charges in connection with the case.
The family of one of the victims expressed disappointment after the Limpopo High Court ordered de Wet’s release last week, on the condition that he testify as a state witness.
According to the state, the women were shot after allegedly trespassing on Olivier’s property in search of discarded food. Their bodies were reportedly disposed of by being fed to pigs on the farm.
Moments after the court adjourned last Wednesday, Makgato’s brother, Walter, broke down in tears outside the courthouse as De Wet was escorted away by his legal team.
“This decision feels like a blow to our hope for justice. It could easily mean that all of them negotiate their way out while the lives of our loved ones were cut short,” he said.
