Prosecution believes Kirsten Kluyts’ murder was premeditated

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The bail hearing of 21-year-old student Bafana Mahungela will continue on the 18th of December where it is expected to sit for three days. Mahungela appeared in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court, north of Johannesburg on Wednesday.

He is accused of the murder of a Johannesburg teacher 34-year-old Kirsten Kluyts.

Mahungela faces charges of rape, aggravated and pre-meditated murder as well robbery. He was arrested at a student residence at Varsity College in Sandton last month.

The state has updated the charge sheet to a Schedule 6 Offence, which means they believe Mahungela had pre-planned the murder of the English teacher.

Relying on surveillance video footage, the state argued that on the day the murder, Mahungela was allegedly seen following the victim before disappearing with her down an embankment, at George Lee Park where the victim was participating in a local running race.

“Footage showed suspect jumped the gate that was locked to get away. He was seen throwing away the clothes that belonged to the deceased. The suspect was seen walking, still in possession of some of the clothes of the victim,” says State Prosecutor, Ayanda Bakana.

Police, however, recovered some of her discarded items.

Post-mortem results show Kluyts was killed using an unknown blunt force object, strangled and had pressure applied to her neck.

When Kluyts’ body was found she was lying on the side of the embankment, and naked.

State Prosecutor, Advocate Ayanda Bakana says, “Post-mortem report shows the cause of death was blunt force trauma, strangulation and pressure to the neck. When the victim was discovered, she was stripped naked. The suspect is linked to murder, robbery and rape.”