Kirsten Kluyts murder accused denied bail
Kirsten Kluyts' alleged killer was denied bail in the Alexandra Magistrates’ Court on Friday after he spent Christmas behind bars pending his bail outcome.
Magistrate Syta Prinsloo said the accused and his representatives failed to prove why he should be granted bail.
The 21-year-old student Bafana Mahungela was arrested on 26 November, nearly a month after Kluyts’ lifeless body was discovered at George Lea Park in Sandton.
She went missing while taking part in an organized run on 29 October.
The accused admitted to removing and discarding some of the deceased’s clothing items and wearing her blue t-shirt.
He, however, denies harming or killing Kluyts.
He also told the court that he had covered her body with a rug he found her in before fleeing the scene.
Prinsloo said he took deliberate measures to avoid detection, eliminating any evidence that could incriminate him.
"The court is of the opinion that the applicant took deliberate measures to avoid detection, illuminating any evidence that could incriminate him. Consequently, the court believes that the applicant did not flee the province because he believed that all evidence linking to him had been destroyed.
"The court found that the applicant has not discharged the owners of proving any exceptional circumstances that would be in the interest of justice to be released on bail. Therefore the applicant's application to be released on bail has been denied."
The matter has been postponed to 19 January, 2024.
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