The case against murder accused Bafana Mahungela has been moved from the Alexandra Magistrates’ Court to the Johannesburg High Court for a pre-trial conference.
Mahungela, 21, has been charged with the murder of 34-year-old Sandton teacher Kirsten Kluyts.
Mahungela has been charged with with kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances, murder, attempted rape and defeating the ends of justice.
Kluyts, who is a teacher at Delta Park High, was found murdered at the George Lea Recreational Park in Parkmore, Sandton, on October 29, 2023.
She had participated in an athletic event on the day of her murder, but failed to finish the walk.
She had her cellphone with her, earphones and a watch.
Barely 20 minutes later, her cellphone was found lying close to the running track, and shortly thereafter, her naked body was discovered in a ditch next to a wall.
The post-mortem report revealed that the cause of death was blunt-force head trauma and strangulation, and that smothering or pressure to the neck could not be excluded.
It was also revealed in court that she was 14-weeks pregnant at the time of her murder.
During Mahungela’s bail application, the State presented a picture of Kluyts taken at 8:05am which was the time she arrived to participate in the event.
CCTV footage captured on that day also showed Mahungela entering the park dressed in a black T-shirt and pants.
He was seen moving approximately 100 metres behind Kluyts.
However, he denied stalking Kluyts. Instead, he said the CCTV footage of him was taken at a different time and not the same time when Kluyts was photographed.
He further denied involvement in her murder.
In his evidence, he said he saw a woman lying near a path and intended to offer help. When he realised she was dead, he took her clothes off because he had touched her and did not want his fingerprints or DNA to link him to the crime.
He said his only crime was stealing her clothes and wearing her T-shirt. He later discarded her clothes in a drain.
When asked by the State why he didn’t call the SAPS anonymously, Mahungela said: “I didn’t want to be involved with police,” adding that he was unfamiliar with the procedure.
“What if they ask me to come to the police station?”
He also told the court that five days after seeing Kluyt's body, he had told the caretaker, his father, and his girlfriend.
He said he should rather be facing charges of theft and defeating the ends of justice.
“It doesn’t make sense why you guys don't want to give me bail because after the crime was committed, I was still in Parkmore for four weeks up until you got me on the 26th. If I wanted to run, I would have ...”
Mahungela was arrested on November 26, 2023. He was denied bail and his appeal was also unsuccessful.
NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said Mahungela plans to appeal the decision as he has filed an application for bail on new facts.
The matter will be heard on August 1 in the Alexandra Magistrates’ Court.
Meanwhile, the pre-trial conference will be heard in the high court on August 16.
sinenhlanhla.masilela@iol.co.za
IOL News