South Africa’s state prosecutor has formally dropped charges against one of the farm workers accused of murdering two black women and feeding their remains to pigs. Adrian de Wet was one of three men charged with murder when Maria Makgato, 45, and Lucia Ndlovu, 34, were reportedly killed while searching for food on a pig farm near Polokwane in South Africa’s northern Limpopo province last year. Their bodies were subsequently said to have been delivered to the animals in an apparent attempt to dispose of evidence. Mr De Wet, 20, turned state evidence when the trial began on Monday, claiming that farm owner Zachariah Johannes Olivier shot and killed the two ladies.
Mr De Wet, a farm supervisor, will testify that he was coerced into throwing their bodies into the pig enclosure, according to both the prosecution and his counsel. William Musora, 50, a farm worker, is the third accused. He and Mr Olivier, 60, have yet to enter a plea and remain in custody. Mr De Wet’s lawyers claim he has accurately revealed what happened the night Ms Makgato and Ms Ndlovu were slain in August 2024. Shortly after court ended on Wednesday, he walked out as a free man and was taken away by his attorneys, leaving Ms Makgato’s brother Walter Makgato sobbing outside the courthouse.
He stated that the release of one of the individuals accused of killing his sister meant that justice will be denied. Mr. De Wet will be placed in protective custody until the trial concludes. The case has sparked significant outrage throughout South Africa, exacerbating racial tensions between black and white individuals in the country. Despite the fact that apartheid’s racial system was abolished 30 years ago, this remains prevalent in the country’s rural parts. The white minority owns the majority of private farmland, while black farm workers are often underpaid, leading to animosity among the black community. Additionally, many white farmers report high crime rates. The trial is expected to resume on October 6.
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