By Mapaballo Borotho

- Bafana Mahungela has been found guilty of murdering pregnant teacher Kirsten Kluyts in October 2023.
- The Johannesburg High Court also convicted him of robbery, defeating the ends of justice and attempted rape.
- Mahungela is expected back in court on 27 October 2026 for sentencing proceedings.
Former Varsity College student Bafana Mahungela has been found guilty of murdering pregnant teacher Kirsten Kluyts.
He was convicted of murder, robbery, defeating the ends of justice and attempted rape.
The Johannesburg High Court delivered its judgment on Friday, 11 September 2026.
Mahungela is expected to return to court on 27 October 2026 for sentencing proceedings.
Who was Kirsten Kluyts?
Kluyts was a teacher at Delta Park High School when she was killed in October 2023 while participating in a local marathon run in Sandton.
Following her murder, her lifeless body was discovered dumped along a jogging path in George Lea Park.
The 34-year-old was 14 weeks pregnant at the time of her death.
A post-mortem examination found that Kluyts died from blunt-force head trauma and strangulation.
The State said the fatal assault lasted approximately eight minutes.
Mahungela’s arrest
Mahungela was the first suspect arrested in connection with Kluyts’ murder. He was 21 at the time of his arrest, which came a month after Kluyts’ body was discovered.
He was arrested after investigators identified him on video footage wearing clothing belonging to Kluyts.
The State accused him of kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances, murder and attempted rape.
Mahungela pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Evidence against Mahungela
Investigators relied, among other evidence, on CCTV footage showing Mahungela wearing a black T-shirt and trousers before the killing.
He was later captured on camera leaving the vicinity of the crime scene wearing a blue T-shirt that investigators identified as the same one Kluyts had been wearing earlier that morning.
He was also seen carrying a black item in his left hand.

Mahungela previously admitted to undressing Kluyts and leaving her body naked in the bushes.
However, he claimed that he had removed her clothes only to remove fingerprints after attempting to “help” her.
Kluyts’ clothes were later recovered from a nearby drain.
The case has been postponed to 27 October 2026 for sentencing proceedings.
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