Lawyer convicted of killing girlfriend, burning her body to cover tracks

A South African lawyer, Thubelihle Sbonakaliso Mpisi, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his girlfriend, Mahlako Malebo Rabalao, whose burnt remains were discovered inside her Mercedes-Benz in Midrand, Johannesburg, in March 2023.

The South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg found Mpisi guilty of murder, malicious injury to property, and defeating the administration of justice.

Prosecutors proved that Rabalao had been killed before her body and vehicle were set ablaze in an attempt to destroy evidence and conceal the crime.

Rabalao, a 26-year-old IT specialist and mother of a three-year-old boy, had reportedly informed family and friends of her plans to end the relationship and move out of the apartment she shared with Mpisi before her death.

Investigators relied on cellphone records, forensic evidence, expert testimony, and Mpisi’s actions before and after the incident to secure a conviction.

He was arrested in KwaZulu-Natal after a four-month investigation and has remained in custody since July 2023.

Before his arrest, Mpisi publicly mourned Rabalao on social media, expressing shock and grief over her death.

On Tuesday, August 4, 2026, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment for the crime.