By Enyichukwu Enemanna
A South African white farmer and his two employees accused of killing two black women and feeding their bodies to his pigs have appeared in court in murder charge.
The victims, Maria Makgato, 45, and Lucia Ndlovu, 34, were allegedly in search of food on the farm near Polokwane in South Africa’s northern Limpopo province last year when they were shot dead.
Their bodies were then alleged to have been given to pigs apparently in an effort to cover up traces of the murder.
The owner of the farm, Zachariah Johannes Olivier, 60, and his employees Adrian de Wet, 19, and William Musora, 50, are yet to enter a plea and remain behind bars.
The case has generated outrage across South Africa, exacerbating racial tensions already rife in the country.
Rural communities are most hit despite the end of racist system of apartheid in the country since 1994.
The three accused persons also face charges of attempted murder for shooting at Ms Ndlovu’s husband, who was with the women at the farm as well as illegal possession of firearms.
One of the accused, Mr. Musora, a Zimbabwean national, faces an additional charge under South Africa’s Immigration Act over his status as an illegal immigrant.
As the trial was about to start on Monday, supporters and relatives of the victims besieged the Limpopo High Court.
Members of opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters, which has previously called for the farm to be shut down, were also present in the courtroom.
