Limpopo Pig Farm Murder Trial Postponed to 7 October

Limpopo Pig Farm Murder Trial Postponed to 7 October

  • Zachariah Olivier, who was arrested for allegedly murdering two people in Limpopo and discarding their bodies in a pigsty, appeared in court on 6 October 2025
  • The trial for the pigsty murders was postponed, with Rudolph De Wet, who was arrested as a suspect, testifying as a state witness
  • This was after he, William Musora, and Zachariah Olivier were arrested for the murders of Maria Makgato and Lucia Ndlovu

With 10 years’ experience, Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of the Current Affairs desk, South Africa, provided insights into the criminal justice system, crime statistics, commissions of inquiry, and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.

The trial of Zachariah Olivier, who was arrested for murdering Maria Makgato, was postponed
Zachariah Olivier appeared in court for his murder trial. Image: @CrimeWatch_RSA
Source: Twitter

POLOKWANE, LIMPOPO — The murder trial of Maria Makgato and Lucia Ndlovu, who were killed and their bodies dumped in a pigsty in Limpopo, appeared in court on 6 October 2025, and their trial was postponed.

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The murder trial was supposed to commence on Monday, but was postponed to the following day. Murder accused Zachariah Olivier's lawyer requested to consult with the client. This was after the private ballistics expert they appointed did not provide them with a report from the state.

The state prosecutor, Advocate George Sekhukhune, agreed to the application. He stated that the trial must commence on the following day, irrespective of the availability of the ballistics report. He reasoned that it would not be prejudicial for the accused if the state started with evidence that is not tied to the ballistics expert.

A look at the pig farm murders

Olivier and his employee, William Musora, have been charged with the murder of 45-year-old Makgato and 35-year-old Ndlovu. The two were killed while collecting expired food at Olivier's farm, Onvevaght, outside of Polokwane in August 2024. Ndlovu's husband was also shot but survived the incident.

Musora reportedly found their bodies when he reported for work the next morning. The bodies were then thrown into the pigsty, where the police found them. Rudolph De Wet, Olivier's employee, was also arrested but turned state witness.

Zacharia Olivier, Rudolph De Wet and William Musora were arrested for murder
Three men were arrested for allegedly murdering two women. Image: @CrimeWatch_RSA
Source: Twitter

What you need to know about the farm murder

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SA disappointed after De Wet turns state

In a related article, Briefly News reported that Maria Makgato's family members were distraught and disappointed after one of the suspects was released. De Wet turned state witness.

Makgato's family members broke down in tears outside the court on 7 August 2025. South Africans were also disappinted.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Tebogo Mokwena avatar

Tebogo Mokwena (Current Affairs editor) Tebogo Mokwena is the Deputy Head of the Current Affairs desk and a current affairs writer at Briefly News. With a Diploma in Journalism from ALISON, he has a strong background in digital journalism, having completed training with the Google News Initiative. He began his career as a journalist at Daily Sun, where he worked for four years before becoming a sub-editor and journalist at Capricorn Post. He then joined Vutivi Business News in 2020 before moving to Briefly News in 2023.

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