The accused, Zachariah Olivier (60), Adrian De Wet (19), and William Musoro (45), a foreign national, walked into the dock at the Polokwane High Court in Limpopo this week.
They face charges of two counts of murder, attempted murder, defeating the ends of justice, and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
The woman had been reported missing after visiting Olivier at his farm in Sebayeng, near Mankweng, on 17 August 2014.
The victims were identified as a 45-year-old South African female and her 35-year-old foreign national neighbor, both shot dead. A 47-year-old man who was with them was also shot, police said, but he had gotten away and was treated at a hospital.
One of the women was his wife, claimed the survivor, who told The Chicago Sun-Times they came across the farm and entered to take expired or abandoned dairy.
In addition, days later, two bodies were found in an advanced state of decomposition, presumably discovered in a chicken coop on the farm.
Public Outrage: The Accused Charged With Multiple Counts
William Musoro, identified by police as an "illegal immigrant", is also to be charged under South Africa's Immigration Act.
None of the three men was required to enter a plea when they appeared in court on Monday. They were arrested last month, and their next appearance is not until Thursday for a status update.
The outrage began at the incident, and many have taken to social media demanding justice for the victims. The NPA has confirmed the charges and said the case was a weighty one where sensitive issues had to be considered.
A Code Of Violence In Rural South Africa
This is not an isolated case. In South Africa, a number of such farm murders have been committed in recent times.
Four men, including an Mpumalanga farm manager, were accused of murdering and burning three people whom they suspected of having stolen sheep in August 2024.
Last year, two White farmers in the North West Province were handed prison sentences for murdering a 16-year-old Black boy they suspected of stealing sunflowers.
A higher court later quashed the conviction after ruling that there was not enough evidence.
In South Africa, there were almost 20,000 murders between April and December — violent crime is a major issue across the country — but farm-related attacks are not as prevalent; only around 0.2% of the total murders.
Nevertheless, several White nationalist groups have disseminated widely discredited reports of a so-called genocide against White farmers.
Following The CaseLimpopo's Current Case — A Test Of Justice And Racial Accountability, as it may be what in Limpopo is at best a low-priority case.
