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Court delays sentencing of teacher Kirsten Kluyts's convicted killer

Published

The Johannesburg High Court postponed the sentencing of Bafana Mahungela to 23 November 2026 after hearing that the pre-sentencing reports were not ready. Mahungela, 23, stays in custody until he returns to court.

Mahungela was found guilty in September of murdering Kirsten Kluyts, a Delta Park High School teacher. She was killed at a My Run event in Parkmore, Sandton, in October 2023. She was 34 and 14 weeks pregnant.

Judge Ian Cox convicted Mahungela and said the state had proved his guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Mahungela defended himself in court. He maintained that the person in the CCTV footage was not him and called the identification mistaken.

Mahungela also claimed he found Kluyts's body and removed her clothes to remove his fingerprints from the scene. He referred to the country's gender-based violence crisis when he made the claim.

Key facts

Who
Bafana Mahungela (Accused, convicted of murdering Kirsten Kluyts); Kirsten Kluyts (Delta Park High School teacher, murder victim); Ian Cox (Judge who convicted Mahungela); Johannesburg High Court (court handling the sentencing)
What
The Johannesburg high court postponed the sentencing of Bafana Mahungela, after being told the pre-sentencing report was not ready, among other things. Mahungela was found guilty in September of murdering Kirsten Kluyts, who was killed at a My Run event in Parkmore, Sandton, in October 2023.
When
27 October 2026
Where
Johannesburg, Parkmore, Sandton
Status
Reported

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