Nearly five months after the adjournment of the Kirsten Kluyts' murder case, proceedings are set to resume in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court in Johannesburg on Friday morning.
The 21-year-old student, who cannot be named until he pleads to a charge of rape, will appear in the dock. Kluyts, a 34-year-old teacher who was pregnant when she was killed, was participating in an athletic event at the time of the tragedy.
The Delta Park High teacher was found murdered at the George Lea Recreational Park in Parkmore, Sandton, on October 29, 2023.
The student has been denied bail since his arrest on November 26, 2023, at a student residence not far from the crime scene. During a lengthy bail application, the accused maintained his innocence, denying any involvement in the murder.
He claimed to have stumbled across Kluyts' body and failed to report the matter to the South African Police Services (SAPS) for fear of implication.
However, Magistrate Syta Prinsloo, while refusing him bail in December, stated that the court believed the accused disposed of the victim’s clothing, potentially eliminating valuable evidence, and failed to report his discovery to the SAPS, either directly or anonymously. “The court is of the opinion that the applicant took deliberate measures for protection, eliminating any evidence that could incriminate him.”
