Limpopo trio accused of killing women, throwing bodies into pigsty remain in custody for now

A formal bail application for a Limpopo farmer and his employees accused of killing two women and throwing their bodies in a pigsty stalled in the Mankweng magistrate's court on Friday. 

The defence lawyers of Zachariah Olivier, 60, and Adriaan de Wet, 19, asked the court to grant them access to the police docket. 

Olivier, the owner of Onverwacht farm near Kotishing village in the Sebayeng policing area in Limpopo, De Wet and William Musoro, 45, were arrested after the decomposing bodies of Maria Makgato, 47, and Lucia Ndlovu, 34, were found in a pigsty. 

The bodies were found with bullet wounds. 

The accused face two counts of premeditated murder, attempted murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition and defeating/obstructing the course of administration of justice. Musoro also faces an additional charge of contravening the Immigration Act. 

Olivier's lawyer advocate Jakobus Johannes Venter told the court he was only able to consult his client before the proceedings and was made aware that his client made a formal statement while in prison. 

He said the statement was taken without his constitutional rights in mind or his attorney present.

“At no point was he granted an opportunity to call his attorney and I was not aware he made any statement until I consulted this morning. It is concerning,” Venter said.

The court heard Venter only obtained “clear-cut” instructions directly from his client in the morning.

“We are not in a position to proceed today [Friday]. It is an opposed application and I would like to be granted a proper opportunity,” he said. 

De Wet's lawyer Jodi Meyer asked to be granted access to the docket before proceeding with the formal bail application. 

Prosecutor advocate Joel Mamabolo argued, however, that their investigations would be compromised and prejudiced as the police were still following up allegations made in Olivier's statement.

After a 30-minute adjournment, the court ordered the state to provide Olivier with access to the statement he made.

Mamabolo, however, said another court may interpret the matter differently and he would appeal the decision. 

“We will request the reasons from the court for us to proceed with the appeal,” he said. 

De Wet was denied access to the docket. 

The matter was remanded to September 10. 

TimesLIVE