New details in the Limpopo farm murders have brought to light the brutal and calculated nature of the crime that left two women dead and a third fighting for his life.
Story Summary:
- The murders involved shooting trespassers and hiding their bodies in pig stalls.
- One of the suspects is an illegal immigrant facing additional charges.
- The accused remain in custody, with the next court appearance set for 30 August 2024.
Police convinced the Limpopo farm murders were premeditated
The murders on the Onvervaght farm in Limpopo have shocked the local community, not only for their brutality but also for the chilling evidence of premeditation.
According to investigators, the farm owner, Zachariah Johannes Olivier, and his farm supervisor, Andrian Rudolph De Wet, had devised a plan to “deal with” anyone trespassing on their property.
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This plan was allegedly put into action on Saturday, 17 August 2024, when 47-year-old Mariah Makgato and 34-year-old Lucia Ndlovu, accompanied by Ndlovu’s husband, ventured onto the farm.
The victims were there to collect expired goods regularly discarded by a Clover truck on the property—a practice known to locals and seemingly tolerated until this fateful day.
As the trio began gathering the goods, Olivier and De Wet allegedly opened fire without warning.
Ndlovu’s husband managed to escape, crawling to the main road with a gunshot wound to his leg, where he was found and rushed to a hospital.
The two women, however, were not so fortunate.
Eyewitness accounts suggest that the shooting was sudden and unprovoked.
Ndlovu’s husband, the sole survivor, described how the gunshots rang out, shattering the calm of the morning.
The women fell where they stood, their bodies left in the open until the following day when farm employee William Musora discovered them.
But instead of reporting the murders to the authorities, Musora, an illegal immigrant from Zimbabwe, allegedly informed Olivier and De Wet, who decided to cover up the crime.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the men moved the bodies to pig stalls on the farm, hoping the pigs would consume the evidence.
The plan worked, to an extent—by the time police were tipped off and arrived on the scene on Tuesday, 20 August 2024, the bodies had been severely mutilated.
The police investigation suggests that the murder was not a crime of passion but a calculated act intended to send a message to anyone who might consider trespassing on the farm.
The fact that a Clover truck regularly dropped off expired goods on the property indicates that the victims were likely aware of the routine and may have visited the farm before.
This raises questions about the suspects’ intentions: Were they lying in wait for trespassers, ready to kill at the first opportunity?
The case took another turn when it was revealed that Musora, the farmworker involved in the crime, is an illegal immigrant.
His status complicates the legal proceedings and adds another layer to the charges he faces.
Musora was allegedly complicit in the cover-up, helping to hide the bodies and dispose of the murder weapon, which Olivier is accused of cutting up and discarding along the R80 road.
Limpopo NPA spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi confirmed that Musora faces additional charges related to his illegal status.
“This case is not just about murder; it involves a series of criminal acts, including the deliberate concealment of the victims’ bodies and the illegal presence of one of the accused in South Africa,” Malabi-Dzhangi said.
Limpopo farm murders: When is the next court appearance?
The three accused appeared in court on Friday, 23 August 2024, where they were 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 for being in South Africa illegally.
Their next court appearance is scheduled for Friday, 30 August 2024, where the defence and prosecution are expected to present more detailed arguments.
The defence may argue that the victims were trespassers and that the suspects were within their rights to defend their property.
However, South African law does not support the use of lethal force in cases of trespassing, especially when the trespassers are unarmed.
The state is likely to argue that the murders were premeditated and that the suspects showed a clear disregard for human life, going so far as to attempt to destroy the evidence by feeding the bodies to pigs.
This case has already drawn significant public attention, and the upcoming court date is expected to shed more light on the horrific events that unfolded on the farm.
