On Friday, August 30, the formal bail application for Zachariah Olivier, 60, and Adriaan de Wet, 19, was postponed in the Mankweng magistrate’s court in South Africa.
Olivier, the owner of Onverwacht farm near Kotishing village in the Sebayeng policing area, and his employees De Wet, 19, and William Musoro, 45, are accused of killing two women, Maria Makgato, 47, and Lucia Ndlovu, 34, and disposing of their bodies in a pigsty. The bodies were found with bullet wounds.
The accused face several charges, including two counts of premeditated murder, attempted murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, and obstructing the course of justice. Additionally, Musoro faces a charge for contravening the Immigration Act.
During the court proceedings, Olivier’s lawyer, Advocate Jakobus Johannes Venter, raised concerns that his client had made a formal statement while in prison without his constitutional rights being observed or his attorney present.
Venter argued that Olivier had not been given the opportunity to contact his attorney and only became aware of the statement during a morning consultation before the court session.
“We are not in a position to proceed today [Friday]. It is an opposed application, and I would like to be granted a proper opportunity,” Venter told the court.
De Wet’s lawyer, Jodi Meyer, also requested access to the police docket before proceeding with the bail application. However, Prosecutor Advocate Joel Mamabolo contended that granting access could jeopardize the ongoing investigation, as the police were still following up on allegations made in Olivier’s statement.
Following a 30-minute adjournment, the court ordered the state to provide Olivier with access to his statement. Mamabolo noted that this decision might be appealed, stating, “We will request the reasons from the court for us to proceed with the appeal.” De Wet was denied access to the docket, and the case was remanded to September 10.
