WeeklySA_AdminHORROR AND OUTRAGE GREETS NEWS OF GRIM SAGA OF TWO BLACK WOMEN GUNNED DOWN ALLEGEDLY BY WHITE FARMER WHILE SCAVENGING FOR FOOD ON RUBBISH HEAP AND THEIR BODIES FED TO PIGS…
BRUTAL FARM KILLINGS – STATE CHALLENGES ORDER
Prejudice: Providing the defence with the statement of the accused at this stage will prejudice the state’s case
By Monk Nkomo
The decision by the magistrate to order the State prosecutor to provide the defence the statement made by one of the accused while in prison in which he made damning confessions and implicated himself in the gruesome murder of two women whose decomposed bodies were found – with gunshot wounds – inside a pigsty on his farm in Limpopo nearly three weeks ago, would prejudice the State’s case and police investigations.
This is the view of a senior legal expert – who cannot be named for professional reasons – who also stated that the order by the magistrate, Arshad Chayya in the Mankweng Magistrate’s Court on Friday, might have raised eyebrows in the legal fraternity because it was made even before the police investigations had been completed.
‘’ Disclosing the docket or statements to the accused or their lawyers at this stage, before police investigations have been completed, might prejudice the State’s case. Normally, that request is made after police investigations have been completed.’’
There was drama inside the packed court when lawyers for the accused, Zachariah Olivier (60) and one of his employees, Adriaan de Wet (19), asked the court for an order granting them access to the statements they made to help them prepare for their bail application.
Olivier, the owner of Onverwacht farm near Kotishing village in the Sebayeng policing area in Limpopo, De Wet and William Musoro (45) were arrested in connection with the brutal murder of two women – Maria Makgato (47) and Lucia Ndlovu (34) whose decomposed bodies, with bullet wounds were found in a pigsty on Olivier’s farm.
The women went missing after visiting the farm on August 17 this year. Ndlovu’s husband, Mabutho Ndlovu (44) who was with the two victims was also shot and wounded.
The three accused face two counts of premeditated murder, attempted murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition and defeating or obstructing the course of administration of justice. Musoro also faces an additional charge of contravening the Immigration Act as he was in the country illegally.
Olivier’s lawyer advocate, Jakobus Johannes Venter told the court that he was only able to consult his client shortly before Friday’s proceedings. That was when his client made him aware that he had made a formal statement while in prison.
The court heard that the statement was taken without Olivier’s constitutional rights in mind or his legal representative present.
“At no point was he granted an opportunity to call his attorney and I was not aware he made any statement until I consulted this morning,” Venter said.
“We are not in a position to proceed today. It is an opposed application and I would like to be granted a proper opportunity”.
Advocate Joel Mamabolo, for the State, remained steadfast and submitted that they would not provide the statement to Olivier’s lawyers. He argued that disclosing the contents of the statement to the defence would compromise and prejudice the State’s case because the police were still following certain allegations that the accused had made.
After a 30 -minute adjournment, the magistrate returned to court and ordered the State to provide Olivier and or his lawyers with access to his statement.
Mamabolo again declined and notified the court that they would instead lodge an urgent appeal against this decision as he believed another court might differ with Chayya’s order.
The matter was postponed to September 10 for a formal bail application for two of the accused – De Wet and Musoro – while awaiting the outcome of the appeal to determine if Olivier’s lawyers can have access to his statement.
While the drama was unfolding inside court, a crowd comprising various civic and political organizations including the ANC Women’s League and a delegation from the Limpopo branch of the South African Council of Churches, voiced their anger at the brutal murder of the two women and called on the court to deny the three accused bail as they faced serious charges.
‘’ I doubt if this white farmer and his employees would have committed such a crime if the victims – poor people scavenging for food – were white people. We call on the court to deny them bail. They deserve to be convicted and rot in jail,’’ a family member said.
Community leaders in Mankweng also called on the government to monitor this case closely and to make sure that in the end justice prevailed. ‘’ This was a racially motivated cruel act. We need transparency and above all, justice’’.
MINISTER CONDEMNS BRUTAL MURDER OF TWO WOMEN
INTERVENTION: State assigns social workers to provide counselling support and aftercare services to the victims’ children…
By Lehlohonolo Lehana
Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe has strongly condemned the brutal killing of a mother of four, whose body was found by the police together with two other victims at Sebayeng village in Limpopo.
South Africans were left shocked after two women, Maria Makgota (47) and Locadia Ndlovu (34) were brutally murdered and their alleged killers fed their bodies to their pigs.
The farmer and his two workers, accused of killing the women, appeared at the Mankweng Magistrate’s Court today for a formal bail hearing.
Zachariah Olivier, Adriaan de Wet, and William Musoro face multiple charges, including two counts of premeditated murder, attempted murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm, and defeating the ends of justice. Musoro also faces an additional charge for contravening the Immigration Act.
The Minister said the incident happened as the country commemorates Women’s Month under the theme: “Celebrating 30 Years of Democracy Towards Women’s Development”.
“I am deeply saddened and disturbed by the violence and brutal killings of women, particularly, during the month of August where we expect women to be embraced, protected, and celebrated, “Tolashe said.
She said August should be the month when all South Africans celebrate women as active agents of change and social transformation. This should be done by reflecting on the achievements of women over many years, as well as their transformation and development of the past 30 years.
“This month coincides with the country’s commemoration of 30 Years of Freedom and Democracy, making this year’s Women’s Month an important juncture for collective reflection on how we have empowered and advanced the rights of women on our democratic journey.”
The Department of Social Development in Limpopo, through its social workers, conducted a visit to the home of the deceased.
It was discovered that the deceased was unemployed and supported her family through the child support grant which she received for her children.
The three of her children are attending school and the youngest is registered at an early childhood development centre. The eldest is 22 years old and employed as a casual worker at a local farm with her contract ending in December this year.
“Social workers are greatly assisting the family and an assessment of the needs of the family was conducted to determine how best they could be supported. Counselling was provided as part of the basket of psychosocial support services the department provides to victims who have suffered trauma and loss,” the Minister said.
The social worker appointed to the case will continue with psychosocial support and aftercare services.
A report will be compiled to determine a suitable person to care for the children and the family will be provided with a Social Relief of Distress grant while awaiting the post-mortem results so they can finalise the burial service of the deceased. – www.fullview.co.za
