A South African court has sentenced attorney Thubelihle Sbonakaliso Mpisi to life imprisonment for the murder of his girlfriend, Mahlako Malebo Rabalao, whose body was found burned inside her Mercedes-Benz in Johannesburg.
The South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg handed down the sentence on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. Mpisi was also convicted of malicious damage to property and defeating the administration of justice.
Rabalao's charred remains were discovered on March 9, 2023, near her home in Midrand. According to prosecutors, although medical experts could not determine the exact cause of death due to the severe burns, evidence proved she had died before the vehicle was set on fire.
The prosecution relied on cellphone records, forensic evidence, expert testimony, and Mpisi's actions before and after the incident to establish his guilt. The court found that he killed Rabalao before setting her body and car ablaze in an attempt to destroy evidence and conceal the crime.
During the trial, it emerged that the couple had been in a romantic relationship. Rabalao had reportedly informed family and friends that she planned to end the relationship and move out of the apartment they shared before she was killed.
Rabalao, a 26-year-old IT specialist who was about to celebrate her 27th birthday, was the mother of Mpisi's three-year-old son.
Mpisi was arrested in KwaZulu-Natal on July 28, 2023, after a four-month investigation and has remained in custody since then after abandoning his bail application.
Before his arrest, Mpisi posted emotional tributes on social media, expressing shock and grief over Rabalao's death—a move that prosecutors said contrasted sharply with the evidence presented during the investigation and trial.
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