South African Lawyer Sentenced to Life for Murdering Girlfriend and Burning Her Body
By TUW
A South African lawyer who publicly expressed grief over the death of his girlfriend has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of murdering her and attempting to destroy evidence by burning her body inside her vehicle.
The South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg handed down the sentence on Tuesday, 4 August 2026, against Thubelihle Sbonakaliso Mpisi, who was convicted of murdering Mahlako Malebo Rabalao, as well as charges of malicious injury to property and defeating the administration of justice.
Mpisi has remained in custody since his arrest on 28 July 2023 after he withdrew his bail application.
Rabalao’s burned remains were discovered inside her Mercedes-Benz on 9 March 2023 near her residence in Midrand, Johannesburg. At the time, the discovery led to a lengthy investigation that eventually linked Mpisi to the crime.
According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Magaboke Mohlatlole, Senior State Advocate Michelle Bayat told the court that although medical experts could not establish the exact cause of Rabalao’s death due to the severe damage caused by the fire, the evidence proved that she had already died before the vehicle was set alight.
The State’s case relied on circumstantial evidence, including cellphone data, forensic findings, expert evidence and Mpisi’s behaviour before and after the incident. The court found that the evidence presented was sufficient to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Prosecutors argued that Mpisi killed Rabalao before setting her body and vehicle on fire in an attempt to cover up the crime and interfere with the investigation.
During the trial, the court heard that the two were in an intimate relationship. Rabalao had reportedly informed family members and friends that she planned to end the relationship and move out of the home she shared with Mpisi before her death.
Rabalao, an information technology specialist, was nearing her 27th birthday when she was killed. She was also the mother of Mpisi’s three-year-old child.
Mpisi, who was 30 years old at the time of the murder, was arrested in KwaZulu-Natal following a four-month investigation. Before his arrest, he had taken to social media to express his sadness and disbelief over Rabalao’s death, describing his grief over losing the mother of his child.
