Keypoints:
- Charges dropped against Adrian de Wet
- Victim’s family outraged at release
- Racial tensions deepen ahead of trial
PUBLIC anger has erupted across South Africa after prosecutors dropped murder charges against Adrian de Wet, a white farm worker accused in the brutal killing of two black women whose bodies were allegedly fed to pigs to destroy evidence.
De Wet, 20, walked free from a Limpopo courtroom on Wednesday after turning state witness against his co-accused. He had been one of three men charged with the August 2024 murder of Maria Makgato, 45, and Lucia Ndlovu, 34, who were reportedly scavenging for food when they were killed on a pig farm near Polokwane.
The state alleges that farm owner Zachariah Johannes Olivier shot the women and, along with the others, fed their bodies to pigs to cover up the crime. Prosecutors say De Wet has agreed to testify that he was forced under duress to assist in disposing of the victims’ bodies.
Victim’s brother: ‘Justice is not being served’
De Wet’s sudden release sent shockwaves through the courtroom and across the country. Outside court, Walter Makgato, brother of one of the victims, broke down in tears.
‘One of the men who was there the night my sister was killed has walked away,’ he told the BBC. ‘Justice is not being served.’
De Wet was immediately whisked away by his legal team and placed under protective custody until the trial resumes on October 6.
De Wet to testify against farm owner
According to both his lawyers and the prosecution, De Wet has made a full confession and will testify that Olivier, 60, was the gunman. William Musora, 50, another farm worker charged in the case, also remains behind bars. Neither Olivier nor Musora has entered a plea.
De Wet, who worked as a supervisor on the farm, claims he acted under duress when he threw the women’s bodies into the pig enclosure. Prosecutors are now relying on his testimony as a key part of their case against the remaining two accused.
Nationwide fury over racial injustice
The case has reignited widespread anger in South Africa, where the legacy of apartheid continues to cast a long shadow over rural land ownership and race relations. While apartheid officially ended three decades ago, vast swathes of farmland remain in the hands of the white minority, and most black farm workers remain underpaid and vulnerable.
In this context, the murder of two black women and the release of one of their alleged killers has become a flashpoint for deep racial resentment.
‘This case is not just about murder,’ said one protester outside court. ‘It’s about power, race, and whose lives are valued.’
Trial resumes in October
The trial is scheduled to continue on October 6, with De Wet expected to take the stand as a key witness for the state. Human rights groups and activists are closely watching the proceedings, warning that the outcome could inflame already fraught rural tensions.
For now, the release of a murder suspect and the gruesome nature of the crime have left many South Africans asking whether the justice system can deliver fairness in a society still battling its past.
