Sakkie Olivier and William Musora (Photo: Isabel Venter/Maroela Media)
The so-called pig sty murder case from Limpopo was resumed this week with an internal hearing on two statements made by the main suspect, Sakkie Olivier (60).
Olivier, and his former farm worker, William Musora (40), are accused of murdering two women whose bodies were found in a pig pen on Olivier’s holding in 2024.
Maria Makgatho (45) and Lucia Ndlovu (34) were shot dead on 17 August 2024 while they visited the smallholdings to collect dairy products that had been dumped there.
After ballistics evidence was completed, during which it was confirmed that the projectile found in one of the victims’ bodies did not come from a .22 rifle, the internal hearing began. Olivier previously admitted in his plea explanation that he had shot with an unlicensed .22 rifle on the day of the incident.
Sakkie Olivier and William Musora in court. (Photo: Isabel Venter/Maroela Media)
Adv. George Sekhukhune, the public prosecutor, told the court on Wednesday that there was a second statement that Olivier made shortly after he was arrested. The content of this statement and to what extent it differs from Oliver’s first statement was not discussed in court.
Sekhukhune did argue that the second statement should be part of the court record.
Adv. However, JJ Venter, for Olivier, argued that testimony must first be heard about the procedure that was followed when the statement was taken from Olivier. The court must then make a decision whether the statement is admissible or not.
Earlier, the court did hear testimony from Adriaan de Wet (20), a state witness, in which Olivier apparently made a confession in this statement and would have said that he would “take the fall for the whole case in exchange for De Wet’s freedom”.
The Act in terms of art. 204 of the Criminal Procedure Act entered into an agreement with the state to testify against Olivier and Musora.
(Photo: Isabel Venter/Maroela Media)
The first witness in the internal hearing was Lt. Col. Simon Mafukada of the Morebeng Police Station. He testified that he took the second statement at the Botlokwa police station on 22 August.
Mafukada continued his testimony on Thursday and said Olivier understood the statement and read it himself. “He still told me how thorough I am in my work,” Mafukada testified.
Venter put it to him that Olivier did not understand the statement and that Mafukada’s handwriting was difficult to read. Olivier’s version will also be that he indicated he had a problem with the word “murder” in the statement and pointed it out. The statement has not been amended, according to Venter.
Mafukada denied this and said Olivier further confirmed that he made the statement without any threats or outside influence.
After this, Capt. Makolo, the investigating officer in the case, testifies that he arrested Olivier and when he wanted to take his first statement “Olivier started crying and said he only wanted to tell the whole truth”. Makolo testified that in other words it would amount to a confession and because he is not a commissioner of oaths, it was arranged that an authorized police officer take the statement.
Sakkie Olivier talks to adv. JJ Venter, his legal representative, in court. (Photo: Isabel Venter/Maroela Media)
Makolo also testified that Olivier made this confession without any coercion or that any “promises or agreements” were made with him in exchange for his statement.
After this, the court heard that Olivier was not taken back to prison on Tuesday evening after the court proceedings, but spent the evening in the police cells “where an unpleasant incident took place”.
“I don’t want to go into the finer details, but my client was attacked and threatened with sexual assault,” Venter told the court. He asked that the court make an order that his client be detained in prison instead.
The interrogation continues.
Sakkie Olivier and William Musora in court. (Photo: Isabel Venter/Maroela Media)