Pig Farm Double Murder Trial: Inspection in Loco Ordered
The Limpopo High Court has ruled that an inspection in loco will be conducted at the crime scene on the Onvervaght Farm in Sebayeng, outside Polokwane. The inspection is part of the ongoing trial of Zachariah Olivier, a pig farmer accused of murdering Maria Makgato and Lucia Ndlovu in August last year.
According to the prosecution, Olivier allegedly shot the two women and then ordered his farmworkers to discard their bodies in a pigsty. The court had to decide whether to grant the defense’s application for an inspection in loco, which would allow the judge to assess the crime scene firsthand.
Senior state advocate George Sekhukhune argued against the inspection, citing changes to the crime scene, including the erection of a new fence since the crime was committed. However, Judge Jane Ngobeni ruled in favor of the defense, allowing the inspection to proceed.
The trial has garnered significant attention due to its shocking allegations and has sparked widespread outrage and debate over racial tensions and justice in rural South Africa. Olivier, along with his employee William Musora, is facing charges of murder, attempted murder, and other related offenses. Another accused, Adriaan Rudolph de Wet, has turned state witness and claims he was coerced into disposing of the bodies
