South Africa is furious over the bodies of women found in a pigsty

The case of two black women who were allegedly shot and eaten by pigs by a white farmer and two of his workers has caused an uproar in South Africa.

Maria Makgato, 45, and Lucia Ndlovu, 34, were allegedly looking for food on a farm in Polokwane, north of Limpopo in South Africa in August when they were shot.

It is said that their bodies were given to pigs in an attempt to destroy the evidence.

The court has begun hearing whether to grant bail to farm owner Zachariah Johannes Olivier, 60, and his workers Adrian de Wet, 19, and William Musora, 50, before their murder case.

The three men have not yet asked to file their claims in court, which will happen when the case is heard at a later date.

Demonstrators protested outside the court in Polokwane, holding placards saying that the suspects had been denied bail.

Inside the court, the families of the victims and the suspects were packed – and Magistrate Ntilane Felleng agreed that a request was made for the proceedings to be recorded by the media, saying that this would help the public.

Hours later, he adjourned the bail hearing until November 6 for further investigation – so the suspects remain in custody.

Earlier, Ms Makgato’s brother Walter Mathole told the BBC that this incident has further fueled the tension between black and white people in South Africa.

This is especially prevalent in rural areas of the country, despite the end of apartheid system 30 years ago.

Three men in the Polokwane court were also charged with attempted murder by shooting Ms Ndlovu’s husband who was with women on the farm – and possession of an illegal gun.

Mabutho Ncube survived the incident on Saturday night 17th August – he crawled and managed to call a doctor for help.

He said he reported the incident to the police and the police found his wife’s and Mrs Makgato’s decomposing bodies in the pigsty a few days later.

Mr Mathole said he was with the police and he saw something horrific inside the pigsty: his sister’s body which had been eaten by animals.

It is said that this group had gone to this farm to look for food with goods that have just expired or are about to expire. These were sometimes left on the farm and fed to the pigs.

Mrs Makgato’s family say they are devastated by her killing – especially her four sons, aged between 22 and five.

“My mother died tragically, she was a loving mother who did everything for us. We didn’t lack anything because of him,” Ranti Makgato, the eldest of his sons, told the BBC jokingly.

“I think I will sleep better at night if the accused murderers are denied bail,” he added.

The opposition group Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) says the farm must be closed.

“The EFF cannot wait while the products of this farm continue to be sold as they pose a risk to consumers,” he said after the bodies were found.

The South African Human Rights Commission condemned the killings and called for anti-discrimination dialogue between the affected communities.

Farmers’ groups, often white, say farming communities feel under attack in a country with high crime rates – although there is no evidence that farmers are more at risk than anyone else.

There have been two other incidents that have sparked racial tensions recently.

In the eastern province of Mpumalanga, a farmer and his bodyguard were arrested in August for allegedly killing two men on a farm in Laersdrift near the small town of Middleburg.

Two men, whose bodies were burned in an unknown manner, are accused of stealing sheep.

The suspects are still in custody while the ashes are tested for DNA.

The latest case involves a 70-year-old white farmer accused of running over a six-year-old child, breaking both legs, for stealing an orange from his farm.

The hearing of Christoffel Stoman’s bail request, from Lutzville in the Western Cape province, continues.

The court heard that the mother and son were passing through the farm on their way to town to buy groceries.

It is alleged that the six-year-old child stopped to pick up an orange from the ground – the mother watched in horror as the farmer allegedly cut it.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the farmer is facing two charges of attempted murder and reckless driving.

NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila told the BBC that the government opposes the suspect’s bail request.

Two political parties – the African Transformation Movement and the Pan Africanist Congress – want Mr Stoman’s farm to be confiscated following the incident.