Bafana Mahungela found guilty of Kirsten Kluyts murder
34-year-old Kluyts was killed during a park run in Sandton in October 2023.
Bafana Mahungela was shocked when the High Court in Johannesburg found him guilty of all charges related to the murder of Kirsten Kluyts, a Sandton teacher. Judge Ian Cox sentenced him to all five charges, including kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances, defeating the ends of justice, and the murder and attempted rape of Kluyts on 29 October 2023.
Mahungela, who represented himself during the trial, expressed his confusion and anger after hearing the guilty verdict. He questioned the judge, saying "Am I just supposed to listen?" and "Am I supposed to just stand and listen?" Judge Cox explained the process, stating that Mahungela would have a chance to address the court again during the sentencing phase.
Mahungela admitted that he may have made a mistake by representing himself, as he felt the judge promised to look after his rights. He asked to reappoint a legal representative during the trial, but the court denied his request. Now, Mahungela is questioning whether he will be tricked during the sentencing phase, asking "How am I sure that when I come here again, I'm not going to be tricked or something?"
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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