Bafana Mahungela, the man accused of the heinous murder of a pregnant teacher Kirsten Kluyts, has been denied bail.
The 21-year-old appeared before the Alexandra magistrate’s court on Friday after spending Christmas behind bars on charges of premeditated murder, rape, and robbery with aggravated circumstances.
Mahungela’s case has gripped the local community and drawn national attention.
Throughout the proceedings he maintained his innocence, insisting that he stumbled upon Kluyts’ lifeless body and did not commit the heinous crimes he is accused of.
Charges are malicious, prejudiced
Mahungela claimed that he had taken off her clothes out of panic, fearing that his fingerprints would be found, and argued that he was seen leaving the vicinity of the crime scene wearing Kluyts’ T-shirt, a detail that has raised eyebrows.
Defence advocate Itumeleng Masako argued that the charges against Mahungela are malicious and prejudiced, pointing out incomplete investigations.
However, Syta Prinsloo, the magistrate presiding over the bail application, was not convinced by these claims.
In a scathing judgment, the magistrate stated: “Given the prima-facie case against the applicant, the court is of the opinion that the applicant poses a danger to society, especially to the women in our community.”
She further pointed out that Mahungela had disposed of Kluyts’ clothing, potentially destroying valuable evidence, and had failed to report the discovery of her body to police.
Evidence destroyed
“The court is of the opinion that the applicant took deliberate measures to avoid sanctions, eliminating any evidence that could incriminate him,” the magistrate added.
“Consequently, the court believes that the applicant did not flee the province because he believed that all the evidence against him had been destroyed.
“Therefore, the applicant’s application for bail is denied.”
Prinsloo further noted that Mahungela failed to provide any circumstantial evidence to support his case. As a result, the bail application was denied.
It is now understood that Mahungela intends to apply for leave to appeal Prinsloo’s judgment on an urgent basis, signaling that the legal battle surrounding the case is far from over.
