The two men accused of the murder of journalist Aserie Sibusiso Ndlovu and his partner Zodwa Mdhluli have abandoned their bail application.
Remains suspected to be those of the couple were discovered three weeks ago after they were reported missing on February 18.
The matter had previously been postponed to Monday for Samuel Mogongwe and co-accused Lucky Sikhosana to apply for bail after two other accused, Thato Madisha and Sello Uoane, abandoned theirs last week at the KwaMhlanga magistrate's court in Mpumalanga.
He works hard driving that [e-hailing] car, he fends for himself and his family. He supports me and his siblings
— Anna Jiane
However, when Mogongwe and Sikhosana appeared in court on Monday, it was expected that they would make a formal bail request.
"It is my instructions that accused number one and two are abandoning their application for bail," said their lawyer Christinah Mabena.
Mogongwe was employed by the couple as their e-hailing driver.
Speaking outside court, Mogongwe's mother Anna Jiane said her son is a well-behaved person who is being falsely accused of the crime.
"This is not like him, my son is well-behaved. He did not do this crime," Jiane said.
"He works hard driving that [e-hailing] car, he fends for himself and his family. He supports me and his siblings. My child is being falsely accused," she said.
Mogongwe's sister Rejane Jiane said:"Even the community and people he grew up with are very shocked because he is well-behaved. We believe he is not guilty, guilty people hide their faces; he is the only one [in the dock] not hiding his face because he is not guilty."
She said, however, that she was shocked as to why he was abandoning his bail application seeing that he is a bread winner with a wife and two children. "Did the other [accused] convince him?" asked Jiane .
The case was postponed to June 20 for further investigations.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly spelt Anna Jiane's name.
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