The trial of Zachariah Olivier and his co-accused, William Musora, was postponed on Monday in the Polokwane High Court after their defence lawyer, Jacobus Venter, failed to appear in court.
Venter, who was expected to continue cross-examining former accused-turned-state witness Rudolph de Wet, sent a letter to the court stating that he could not attend the proceedings as he was handling another matter in Mbombela, Mpumalanga.
The case was postponed to Tuesday, when proceedings are expected to resume.
Olivier (61), the owner of Onverwacht Pig Farm in Sebayeng, outside Polokwane, and Musora face two counts of murder and one of attempted murder.
The charges relate to the brutal killing of 45-year-old Maria Makgatho and 35-year-old Lucia Ndlovu on August 17, 2024.
Ndlovu’s husband, Mabutho Ncube, survived the attack despite sustaining gunshot wounds.
The two women were allegedly shot dead while searching for leftover food at the farm. Their decomposed bodies were discovered two days later in a pigsty.
Suffocated with a plastic bag
Last week, De Wet told the court that Olivier had handed him a rifle and instructed him to shoot at the “intruders”.
During his testimony, De Wet also alleged that three police officers assaulted and suffocated him with a plastic bag while demanding that he reveal the location of the firearms used in the killings.
He said he feared for his life and nearly lost consciousness several times during the interrogation.
The 21-year-old De Wet is one of several key witnesses in the case. His testimony follows that of Olivier and Makgatho’s son, Ranti, who is among 22 state witnesses.
Ranti told the court that he waited in vain for his mother, who had gone to the farm to collect discarded food.
When she failed to return, he said, he knew something was terribly wrong.
Olivier has since pleaded guilty to possession of illegal firearms but denies involvement in the murders.
