WATCH: ‘I didn’t want to be involved’- Accused explains why he took Kirsten Kluyts’ clothes

Bail proceedings for Johannesburg teacher Kirsten Kluyts’ alleged killer Bafana Mahungela have been postponed to next week by the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court.

Kluyts’ body was discovered off the running track in a secluded area at George Lea Park (Sandton Sports Club) in Parkmore in October. The Delta Park High School teacher was allegedly attacked by Mahungela during a MyRun event.

ALSO READ: Kirsten Kluyts murder: Defence wants video evidence for bail application

Police scoured footage from CCTV cameras dotted around the Sandton Sports Club and the gated community where she died after her disappearance.

Mahungela appeared before the court on Wednesday, where rape, robbery and pre-meditated murder were added to his charge sheet. His lawyer, Advocate Itumeleng Masako, said he was unaware of the additional charges and the upgrading of the murder charge to pre-meditated murder.

The court reportedly heard that a postmortem report found Kluyts had sustained blunt force head trauma, strangulation, smothering, and pressure to the neck.

Jacaranda FM quoted the state as saying Mahungela was placed at the murder scene by CCTV video evidence and that he had “jumped a locked gate to get away”.

Mahungela told the court he met Kluyts at a restaurant in Parkmore and denied raping her.

He said he later found her body but took off her clothes so that he would not be implicated.

“I didn’t want to be involved because I know [the scourge] of gender-based violence in the country. I know gender-based violence is a big thing in the country so I didn’t want to be involved. That’s why I tried to take away the [her] clothes, because of the fingerprints and stuff”.

Bail proceedings were postponed until next Monday, 18 December.

The matter was postponed last week after the defence sought video footage related to the murder.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Gauteng spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said the state opposed bail, due to the seriousness of the murder charge.

ALSO READ: State expected to oppose bail as Kirsten Kluyts murder case postponed