Three men have appeared in court in South Africa accused of killing two women and feeding their bodies to pigs on the farm where they work.
Farm owner Zachariah Johannes Olivier, 60, supervisor Adrian Rudolph de Wet, 19, and employee William Musora, 45, face two counts of premeditated murder, one count of attempted murder and possession of an unlicensed firearm.
Musora, a Zimbabwean national, also faces charges of being in South Africa illegally.
The female victims, Locadia Ndlovu and Maria Makgatho, were allegedly trespassing on Olivier’s farm in the northern province of Limpopo in August when they were shot dead.
Ms Ndlovu’s husband Mabutho was with them at the time and told South African broadcaster Newzroom Afrika that he was also shot on the farm.
He managed to crawl to a nearby road where he was reportedly able to seek help before being taken to a police station where an ambulance was called.
Mr Ndlovu told police what happened before officers visited the farm but did not find the women, according to South African news website IOL.
However, officers are said to have found the bodies in a pigsty on the farm some days later.
Police have confirmed Ms Makgatho and Ms Ndlovu, aged 47 and 34 respectively, were mauled by the pigs and had numerous gunshot wounds on their bodies.
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Protestors demonstrate outside the court on Tuesday. Pic: AP
The two women and Mr Ndlovu were allegedly trespassing on the farm to try and collect potentially expired dairy products that had been dumped there by a truck.
Olivier, De Wet and Musora appeared in Mankweng Magistrates’ Court in Polokwane in Limpopo on Tuesday.
The state wants them to remain behind bars until their trial is concluded.
The case has caused outrage in South Africa, with several political parties protesting outside the court calling for the men to be denied bail and face the harshest possible sentence.
The South African Human Rights Commission called on the public not to take the law into their own hands in retaliation.
Violent crimes on South Africa’s farms have been a concern for years, including the killing of farmers by criminals and farmers’ abuse of workers.
The case will continue next month.
