A South African farm worker has told a court in Polokwane how he was ordered by his employer to feed the bodies of two Black women to pigs in a gruesome attempt to hide evidence after they were shot dead.

Adrian De Wet, 21, testified that his boss, farm owner Zachariah Johannes Olivier, forced him to dispose of the remains inside a pig enclosure, saying, “When pigs are hungry enough, they’ll eat anything.”

Mr De Wet admitted to firing at the women alongside Olivier before being ordered to help cover up the killings. The victims Maria Makgato, 45, and Lucia Ndlovu, 34 had allegedly entered the farm in Limpopo province last year while searching for food.

Olivier and another man, William Musora, 50, are charged with murder. De Wet was initially accused too, but prosecutors dropped charges after he agreed to become a state witness, claiming he acted under duress.

Shocking Testimony

De Wet recounted that on the night of August 17, 2024, he and Olivier armed themselves with hunting rifles and waited for intruders. After hearing footsteps and voices, they opened fire, later finding a woman’s body.

The revelation has drawn sharp condemnation from human rights organizations, who have urged the South African government to intensify monitoring of farms where reports of abuse against Black workers have been recurrent. The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has since announced plans to visit Limpopo to investigate working conditions in privately owned farms.

“The next morning, Mr Olivier told me to help him throw the body inside the pig enclosure where eight to ten large pigs were kept,” De Wet testified.

A second body was discovered about 25 metres away the following day and was also thrown into the pigsty.

“When we came back on Tuesday, the pigs had bitten off large chunks of flesh the face, thighs, shoulders, and buttocks,” he said, as horrifying photos were presented to the court.

Forensic experts who testified earlier in the trial confirmed that remains recovered from the pig enclosure matched the DNA of the two missing women. Authorities described the crime scene as “one of the most disturbing” they had encountered in recent years, citing the deliberate destruction of evidence and attempts to mislead investigators.

The case has reignited conversations about systemic racial violence and exploitation on South African farms, with activists warning that incidents of abuse often go unreported due to fear of retaliation and lack of legal support for farm workers. Civil society groups have demanded justice for the victims and called for reforms to ensure that perpetrators face harsher penalties.

Local community leaders in Limpopo have also urged for calm, warning that the case could inflame racial tensions in the area. Many residents have gathered outside the courthouse each day, carrying placards reading “Justice for Maria and Lucia” and “Stop farm killings.”