Bernadette Wicks30 August 2024 | 11:20

Horrid Mankweng murders: Three suspects expected back in court in September

Zachariah Olivier, Adriaan De Wet and William Musora were arrested after Maria Makgato and Kudzai Lucia Ndlovu's remains were found in a pigsty on Olivier’s farm in Sebayeng, outside Mankweng.

Horrid Mankweng murders: Three suspects expected back in court in September

Farm owner Zachariah Olivier and two of his staff, Adriaan De Wet and William Musoro, in the Mankweng Magistrates Court on 30 August 2024. Picture: Supplied/NPA

JOHANNESBURG - The bail application of the three men accused of murdering two women and dumping their bodies in a pigsty, did not go ahead as planned on Friday.

Zachariah Olivier, Adriaan De Wet and William Musora were arrested last week.

This follows the horrid discovery of Maria Makgato and Kudzai Lucia Ndlovu’s remains in a pigsty on Olivier’s farm in Sebayeng, outside Mankweng.

De Wet and Musora both work for Olivier.

They’ve been charged with multiple offences including murdering Makgato and Ndlovu.

Advocate Jakobus Venter, for Zachariah Olivier told the court that he could consult with his client for the first time on Friday morning.

"We are not ready to proceed. Seeing that it requires a formal bail application and as indicated now by my learned colleague it is an opposed application. I would like a proper opportunity firstly to further consult with my client and secondly just to have a proper opportunity to prepare and fill up the bail affidavit that I’ve already prepared."

Attorneys Jodi Meyer and Chanel Brown, for De Wet and Musora, also made similar submissions and the case has now, again, been postponed to 10 September.

The defence also requested access to the docket.

This was largely refused but the court has ordered that a statement that was made by Venter after his arrest be made available to him - which the State is plans to appeal.

Whether or not it will be ready to proceed with his bail application on 10 September 2024 remains to be seen.