The brutal murder of two hungry women, Mariah Makgato and her friend Lucia Ndlovu, who were collecting discarded food on a farm outside Polokwane, Limpopo, has angered the whole nation including the Police Minister who wants the perpetrators to be shown no mercy at all.
The incident has sparked outrage and condemnation and Police Minister Senzo Mchunu joining thousands of South Africans in calling for justice.
The angry victims were collecting expired dairy products dumped by a Clover truck, were shot and killed on August 17th, 2024, by the farm owner, Zachariah Johannes Olivier, and his farm supervisor, Andrian Rudolph De Wet. A third suspect, William Musora, an illegal migrant from Zimbabwe and was working at this farm, was also arrested and charged in connection with the murders.
Makgato, a mother of four, and Ndlovu, a 34-year-old Zimbabwean national, were accompanied by Ndlovu's husband, who miraculously survived the attack after being shot but managed to flee.
"It is alleged that accused one (Olivier) cut the firearm used in the murder and disposed of it along the R80 road," said Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, spokesperson for the Limpopo National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
The following day, Musora, who was working on the farm illegally, discovered the bodies and reported his findings to Olivier and De Wet. The three men then allegedly moved the bodies to the pig stalls, where the pigs began to consume them.
The NPA alleges that Olivier and De Wet had a pre-meditated plan to shoot any community members who trespassed onto their farm. The two men allegedly fired multiple shots at the victims, killing Makgato and Ndlovu instantly.
The three accused men have been charged with two counts of premeditated murder, one count of attempted murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, and defeating the ends of justice. Musora faces an additional charge of being in South Africa illegally.
Minister Mchunu has expressed his outrage at the crime, calling it a "horrific act" that shows a complete disregard for human life.
"The horrific nature of this crime demands that justice be served without leniency. I strongly condemn this act and hope that the court will recognise the gravity of this situation during the formal bail application," said Mchunu.
Mchunu also stated that granting the suspects bail would undermine the severity of their alleged crimes and pose a significant threat to public safety.
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation, with political parties and community leaders expressing their shock and outrage. Many have called for the harshest possible punishment for the accused.
Walter Mathole, Makgato's brother, described the horrific ordeal, saying that he went to the farm after his sister failed to return home, but was met with indifference from the farm workers.
"I went to the farm asking if they had seen my sister but they did not provide me with any helpful information. I also asked workers at the farm but they said they were not at work when the incident happened," Mathole told the SABC.
Mathole said a neighbour of the farm informed him that he had heard gunshots.
"We have lost so much. My sister’s children are now orphans and it will now be my duty to take care of them. I need help and I want the accused people to be denied bail," he said.
The three accused men appeared in court on Friday, August 23rd, 2024, where their case was postponed to August 30th for profiling. They remain in custody.
The police were alerted to the incident after Makgato and Ndlovu's families could not locate them. The police discovered the bodies of the women in an advanced state of decomposition.
Malabi-Dzhangi said that they received a report that Olivier had crushed the firearm used in the murder and disposed of it along the R80 road.
