Johannesburg - The defence counsel for murder accused Sandile Mantsoe said on Friday that the State did not have a strong case for showing that the 27-year-old murdered his girlfriend Karabo Mokoena.
The Johannesburg Magistrate's Court 'heard from Mantsoe's defence counsel, Victor Simelani, that this was not a schedule six offence and that there were no reasons from the state's case to indicate that Mantsoe was a flight risk.
Mantsoe has been behind bars for about a month after he allegedly murdered and set alight Mokoena, his girlfriend of seven months, and buried her in a shallow grave in Bramley.
"The very motive that has been cited by the investigating officer in his affidavits does not make sense," Simelani told the court while delivering heads of argument in the bail application proceedings.
"As the court will note, we have tabulated the liquid assets of Mantsoe, we have stated that he has a base of clientele and we have considered that as any business, there are ups and down and our client's business is not insolvent."
Simelani argued that the State had suggested that the matter had been premeditated, but according to him, Mantsoe had clearly indicated that at most he had disposed of the body but had not killed Mokoena.
"State has indicated certain witnesses but the State has not used an affidavit from a single witness, even if they wanted to protect their identity and use a code name," he said.
"We are sitting with mere allegations from an investigating officer, the State wants this court to believe that there are witnesses. It's a closed fist."
Simelani further argued that there was no mention of the cause of death of Mokoena.
"There is no motive for this man."
The matter continues.