Karabo Mokoena's alleged killer, her boyfriend Sandile Mantsoe, has told the court that she committed suicide.
The prosecution argued in court on Friday that he confessed to police that he killed her in a ritual killing. The state also said it was unclear whether Mokoena was alive when her body was doused in petrol and pool cleaner and set alight.
Mokoena's charred remains were found in a shallow grave in Lyndhurst in early May, and Mantsoe is in court for allegedly murdering her before burning her body.
The media ban on Mantsoe's bail hearing was lifted on Friday.
In an exclusive interview with eNCA in May, Mokoena's mother, Lolo Mokoena, said she warned her daughter that her boyfriend, Sandile Mantsoe, was going to kill her.
"I told her straight, 'Karabo, Sandile is going to kill you. You can't go on like this.' This is not a toxic relationship -- I do not even know what to call this", she told eNCA.
Mokoena started dating Mantsoe in October 2016. She told her family in March this year of the abuse that Mantsoe had been putting her through.
Her mother said she had wanted to confront Mantsoe after Mokoena came home with an injury on her forehead.
"I wanted to approach him but she said 'No, mummy, this guy is crazy. Leave him, it's OK."
Weeks later, she got a phone call from her daughter informing her that she had been hospitalised.
"I cried at work. I said 'But why? Karabo, why?'... She said 'Mamma Sandile just threw me here in hospital, left me with a card, broke my phone and brought the new one".
After her parents managed to convince her to lay a charge, she did so. But he had already laid a charge prior to it. According to the Sunday Times, a highly placed source said when Mokoena went to the police to lay a charge against him, the police officers at the station told the two to "work it out", saying that they could not be investigating "counter-claims".
Mokoena's mother had also urged her to get a protection order against Mantsoe, but she told her her "What good is that going to do?". She says that Mokoena told her, "This guy is evil. Mom, he doesn't care. I know where he is now. He's planning something for me".
Mokoena told eNCA on Tuesday that after her daughter disappeared, she confronted Mantsoe and asked him directly: "Did you kill my daughter?", which he denied.
After Mokoena reported her daughter missing to the police, the police went to Mantsoe's apartment and later called her.
"This policewoman said she wanted to see me alone in the other room... she told me that Karabo is no more. I cried, I cried... It was like I had a hole in my heart."