Godfrey Lebepe held back tears as details of how his wife - a principal at a Soweto primary school - was stabbed almost to death were laid bare at the Lenasia Magistrate's Court yesterday.

Lebepe attended the bail application of Oriah Molapo, who is accused of stabbing Nomathemba Lebepe at Paul Mosaka Primary School in Pimville. Godfrey sat right behind Molapo, 42.

Giving evidence, investigating officer Captain Masenyane Rikhotso of the Kliptown police station gave chilling details of what happened on the morning of November 14 at the school. He told the court that Molapo went to the school at 7.15am carrying a bag that contained a hammer, screwdriver and a knife.

He allegedly gained access to the school's premises by pushing a security guard aside at the gate.

He went straight to Nomathemba, who had just parked her car and was busy on her phone.

He then knocked on the driver's window but she would not open. He took out a hammer and broke the window. He opened the door and pulled her out, but she managed to run to the passenger's side where she opened the door but fell to the ground.

"He moved to the side where she fell, sat on top of her and then stabbed her 25 times all over the body," said Rikhotso.

He said Nomathemba was rescued by residents and other teachers who heard her screams and managed to pull Molapo away from her.

Rikhotso said when police and the ambulance arrived at the school, Molapo was still carrying the knife. "The accused went there with the intention to kill," he said.

It is alleged that Molapo, a former teacher at the school, had been at loggerheads with Nomathemba for years over his bogus qualifications.

The Gauteng department of education confirmed that Molapo was fired in 2015 over fake qualifications.

State prosecutor Tumi Maunye asked what Rikhotso's views were in as far as giving Molapo bail, to which he replied that he opposed bail.

"If he is given bail he will go back and finish what he started. He is too dangerous. You can't leave your place in possession of a knife, hammer and screwdriver to go and attack a woman," said Rikhotso.

He also told the court that Molapo has even assaulted a prison warder at Sun City (Johannesburg Prison) during his incarceration.

Rikhotso said Nomathemba had opened a case of intimidation against Molapo in 2012.

He said, however, that the matter was withdrawn as the prosecutor found that there was no prospects of successful prosecution.

Nomathemba's statement read in part: "He said it's either me or him who will leave the school dead."

Rikhotso also revealed that Nomathemba was readmitted to hospital on Monday after her health deteriorated.

Defence lawyer Peter Shilane said Rikhotso had no concrete evidence that Molapo would go back and finish what he started.

"In your 36 years of experience, is it the first time you come across a man who attacked a woman? It won't be the first time that a man who has attacked a woman is granted bail; and your evidence that he stabbed her 25 times does not stand as the reason why he must not be given bail," said Shilane.

Earlier when Molapo took the witness stand, he refused to give evidence over the attempted murder and malicious damage to property cases. Magistrate Maggie van der Merwe said she hoped to give a ruling on the bail application today.