The trial of Limpopo farmer Zachariah Johannes Olivier and his two workers, who are accused of the brutal murder of two women, has been scheduled for August 2025. Olivier, along with farm supervisor De Wet and farm employee Musora, a Zimbabwean national, face multiple charges, including two counts of premeditated murder, attempted murder, defeating the administration of justice, and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition. The men allegedly killed two women and disposed of their bodies in a pigsty on the farm.
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Rudolph de Wet and William Musora had previously abandoned their bail applications during a court appearance last year, and all three men are currently being held in custody. The trio appeared briefly before the Mankweng Magistrate’s Court, and Limpopo’s spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Mashudu Malabi-Dzangi, confirmed this week that the investigation has been completed. The State has served the accused with an indictment. The case is now set for trial at the High Court in Polokwane, from August 4 to 15, 2025.
The harrowing incident took place when the accused allegedly shot 47-year-old Mariah Makgato and 34-year-old Kudzai Ndlovu, fatally wounding them. Ndlovu’s husband, Mabutho Ncube, who had entered Onvervaght farm to collect expired goods from a commercial truck, was also shot but managed to survive. He later recounted his terrifying experience, sharing that the first shot was fired into the air. The second bullet struck him, while the third hit Makgato and the fourth hit his wife, Kudzai. He collapsed, unable to do anything for his wife, who was gravely injured.
In a desperate attempt to survive, Mabutho Ncube managed to crawl toward the main road, where an associate found him and took him to the police station. From there, an ambulance was called, and Ncube was rushed to the hospital. He vividly remembered the moment in the ambulance when his injuries were revealed. “When I was in the ambulance, they took off the T-shirt I was wearing. I had blood flowing out of my stomach, and when I checked, it was flesh flowing from my abdomen,” he recalled.
While Ncube was still in the hospital, he learned that police and emergency services had visited the farm but had not yet found the bodies of the two women. It wasn’t until several days later that he discovered the tragic truth. “After four to five days, while I was still in hospital, I then heard that the two women’s bodies had been found in the pigsty,” he said, his voice heavy with grief. “I did not expect that to happen. All this time, I thought my wife was in the women’s ward in the hospital. That hurt me so much.”
The brutal murder of the two women and the subsequent discovery of their bodies in the pigsty shocked the community, and the case has garnered widespread attention. As the trial approaches, the survivors, the victims’ families, and the community await justice, hoping that the trial will bring clarity and accountability for these heinous acts.
