South Africa is outraged by the discovery of a woman’s body in a pig pen

The case of two black women being shot and fed to pigs by a white farmer and two of his workers has caused outrage in South Africa.

Maria Makgato, 45, and Lucia Ndlovu, 34, were believed to be foraging for food on a farm near Polokwane in South Africa’s northern Limpopo province in August when they were shot.

Their bodies were then allegedly given to pigs to destroy evidence.

A court has begun considering whether to grant bail to farm owner Zachariah Johannes Olivier, 60, and his employees Adrian de Wet, 19, and William Musora, 50, ahead of their murder trial their people or not.

The three men have not yet been asked to enter a plea in court, which will take place when the trial begins at a later date.

Protesters demonstrated outside the courthouse in Polokwane, holding banners demanding that the suspects not be granted bail.

Inside, the courtroom was packed with families of victims and defendants – and judge Ntilane Felleng agreed to allow the media to film the proceedings, saying it was in the public interest to do so.

After several hours, she adjourned the bail hearing until November 6 to allow further investigation – so the suspects remained in custody.

Earlier, Ms Makgato’s brother, Walter Mathole, told the BBC that the incident had exacerbated racial tensions between blacks and whites in South Africa.

This is especially rampant in rural areas of the country, despite the end of the apartheid system 30 years ago.

The three men in court in Polokwane also face charges of attempted murder for shooting at Ms Ndlovu’s husband, who was with the women at the farm – as well as possessing an unlicensed gun .

Mabutho Ncube survived the ordeal on the evening of Saturday August 17 – and crawled away and managed to call a doctor for help.

He said he reported the incident to police and police found the decomposing bodies of his wife and Ms Makgato in the pig pen a few days later.

Mr. Mathole said he was with the officers and saw a horrifying scene inside the pig pen: his sister’s body had been partially eaten by the animals.

It is known that this group went to the farm to search for edible food from shipments of products that were nearly expired or about to expire. These are sometimes left on the farm and given to the pigs.

Ms. Makgato’s family said they were saddened by her murder, especially her four sons, aged 22 to 5 years old.

“My mother died painfully, she was a loving mother who did everything for us. We lack nothing because of her,” Ranti Makgato, her eldest son, tearfully told the BBC.

“I think I would sleep better at night if the accused murderers were denied bail,” he added.

The opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) said the farm should close.

After the bodies were found, the EFF said: “The EFF cannot stand idly by while products from this farm continue to be sold because they pose a danger to consumers.”

The South African Human Rights Commission condemned the killing and called for anti-racism dialogue among affected communities.

Groups representing farmers, often white, say farming communities feel under attack in a country with high crime rates – even though there is no evidence that farmers are at risk. higher than anyone else.

There have been two other recent incidents that have increased racial tensions.

In the eastern province of Mpumalanga, a farmer and his security guard were arrested in August for allegedly murdering two men at a farm in Laersdrift near the small town of Middleburg.

It is alleged that two men who were burned beyond recognition were accused of stealing sheep.

The defendant remains in custody while the ashes undergo DNA analysis.

The most recent case involved a 70-year-old white farmer who allegedly drove over a six-year-old boy, breaking both legs, for stealing an orange from his farm.

The bail hearing for Christoffel Stoman, from Lutzville in the Western Cape province, is ongoing.

The court heard the mother and daughter passed by the farm as they were on their way to town to buy groceries.

The six-year-old boy is said to have stopped to pick up an orange lying on the ground – and his mother watched in horror as the farmer allegedly felled him.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the farmer is facing two charges of attempted murder and reckless driving.

NPA spokesman Eric Ntabazalila told the BBC that the state opposed the defendant’s bail application.

Two political parties – the African Transformation Movement and the Pan-Africanist Congress – are calling for the expropriation of Mr Stoman’s farm following the incident.