Mahungela trial postponed again over health concerns, missing transcripts

The murder trial of 23-year-old, Bafana Mahungela, has been postponed once again in the Johannesburg High Court due to outstanding court transcripts and concerns around the accused’s health.

Mahungela is accused of murdering Johannesburg teacher, Kirsten Kluyts, whose body was discovered near George Lea Park in Parkmore after she participated in a MyRun event in October 2023.

Proceedings were delayed after his Legal Aid representative informed the court that the defence was not yet ready to proceed with trial.

The defence told Judge Ian Cox that transcripts from Mahungela’s earlier appearances at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court were only received on Monday, leaving insufficient time to prepare for proceedings.

The lawyer also cited health concerns as another reason for requesting additional time before the matter could continue.

“I can only be ready Monday, next week. It’s because of my health condition. I’m not in a good state of health and as a result I won’t be able to go through all the transcripts because I’m using medication that is affecting my concentration.”

Meanwhile, the State confirmed that consultations between the defence and Mahungela had already begun, particularly around Section 220 admissions linked to evidence to be used in the trial.

However, the defence told the court that Mahungela is refusing to sign the admissions, arguing that portions of the State’s evidence including CCTV footage are being challenged on authenticity grounds.

“I have consulted with the accused concerning the section 220. He is not willing to sign them. Based on the fact that we are challenging the authenticity of the CCTV footage,” the lawyer told the court.

Mahungela’s Legal Aid representative confirmed that consultations and preparations around the admissions process were already underway.

The defence also raised concerns about Mahungela’s health, alleging that he had been assaulted by police and struggled to access medical assistance while in custody.

Judge Ian Cox postponed the matter to Thursday to allow the defence more time to prepare and for the court to determine the way forward.

Written by: Lebohang Ndashe