A gruesome double murder in Limpopo, South Africa has ignited widespread anger and calls for justice across the nation. Two women were allegedly shot and killed by farmers on a property near Mankweng, with their bodies reportedly fed to pigs in a shocking display of callousness.
The incident has reignited debates about racial tensions and violence in rural South Africa, particularly involving disputes between farmers and local communities. Farm workers’ rights groups and civil society organizations have decried what they perceive as government silence on the matter.
The decomposed bodies of Mariah Makgato (47) and Lucia Ndlovu (34) were found in a pigsty. They were allegedly attacked by the farmer and his employees, who accused them of trespassing and started shooting at them. Farmer Zachariah Olivier (60) and two of his employees, Adriaan de Wet (19) and William Musoro (45), were arrested after the discovery of the bodies on a farm in Sebayeng, outside Mankweng, on 20 August. They have appeared in court.
Zwelinzima Vavi, General Secretary of the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU), issued a scathing statement condemning the murders:
“SAFTU is outraged by the killing of two women in Mankweng by white racist farmers, who further demonstrated their disgust for the victims by feeding their corpses to pigs,” Vavi stated. He called for the accused, including farmer Zachariah Olivier and his employees, to be denied bail at their court appearance.
Vavi drew parallels to past incidents of violence against Black individuals in rural Limpopo, stating, “This incident quickly reminds us of Tshepo Matloga, who was beaten to death by Afrikaner members of a Rugby club in a farm near Dendron and dumbed in Flag Boshielo Dam in 2001.”
The union leader also highlighted broader issues of racial discrimination and abuse faced by farm workers in the region. “The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) reported in January 2024 that farm workers in Groblersdal and Marble Hall, in the Limpopo Province, faced horrific abuse for asserting their basic rights,” Vavi noted.
SAFTU’s statement called for stronger government action to address what it describes as systemic racism and violence on farms, including more rigorous labour inspections and improved police responses to assault cases.
The murders have also reignited debates about land ownership and access in South Africa. Vavi argued that accusations of trespassing against local community members must be understood in the context of historical land dispossession, stating, “The solution should be the expropriation of land and be put under the custodianship of the state.”
As tensions remain high, many South Africans are demanding swift justice and a broader reckoning with issues of racial violence and inequality in the country’s agricultural sector.
