Cape Town — Twenty-one-year-old Bafana Mahungela appeared in court on Tuesday for his bail application hearing after he was accused of murdering Johannesburg school teacher, Kirsten Kluyts, in October this year.
Kluyts was tragically murdered in Sandton on 29 October 2023 and, according to evidence found, a cellphone placed the accused Mahungela at the crime scene. This evidence was revealed at his bail application, and it contradicts his version of events which stated he only arrived at the scene almost two hours after Kluyts’ death, IOL reported.
Kluyts was found murdered at at the George Lea Recreational Park in Parkmore, Sandton. She was performing in a an athletic event on the day of her murder, but failed to finish the walk. She was also revealed to be 14 weeks pregnant at the time of her death.
CCTV footage showed Mahungela, dressed in a black T-shirt and pants, following approximately 100m behind her. However, he denied this and said the CCTV footage was taken from a different time, and not when he was supposedly following Kluyts.
[WATCH] Joburg teacher #KirstenKluyts‘ alleged killer #BafanaMahungela questions State Prosecutor Adv. Ayanda Bakana about the approximate distance presented by the state in which it says Mahungela was following his alleged victim.#Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/P3DpunJGnP
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) December 19, 2023
Mahungela said he saw a woman lying near the path and decided to help her. When he realised that she was dead, he removed her clothing 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 why he did not go to a police station or contact SAPS immediately, he replied he did not be involved with police and that he was unfamiliar with the procedure. He added that he should be be facing charges of theft and defeating the ends of justice. Instead, has been charged with rape, premeditated murder, and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
“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,” he said. Mahungela was arrested on 26 November.
He is set to return to court on Wednesday as his bail hearing continues.
#BafanaMahungela, who is charged with the murder of #KirstenKluyts, is back in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court today. The state will continue to cross-examine Mahungela in his bail hearing. Newzroom Afrika’s @sholwana_z has more.
Watch: https://t.co/VBDCDmFzkS#Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/Es1iMdushr
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) December 20, 2023
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
