A South African attorney has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering his girlfriend and burning her body inside her car in Johannesburg. On Tuesday, August 4, 2026, the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg sentenced Thubelihle Sbonakaliso Mpisi. He was convicted of the murder of Mahlako Malebo Rabalao, malicious injury to property, and defeating the administration of justice. Mpisi has been in custody since his arrest on July 28, 2023, after abandoning a bail application.
Rabalao’s charred remains were found in her Mercedes-Benz on March 9, 2023, near her home in Midrand. She was an IT specialist and was about to turn 27. The court heard that the couple had been in an intimate relationship and lived together. Rabalao had reportedly told family and friends she planned to end the relationship and move out before she was killed. NPA spokesperson Magaboke Mohlatlole said Senior State Advocate Michelle Bayat argued that while the extensive burning made the exact cause of death unclear, evidence showed Rabalao died before the fire was started.
The court accepted circumstantial evidence including cellphone records, forensic evidence, expert testimony, and Mpisi’s conduct before and after the incident. Prosecutors argued Mpisi killed Rabalao and then set her body and vehicle alight to destroy evidence. Mpisi, who was 30 at the time, was arrested in KwaZulu-Natal after a four-month investigation. Before his arrest, he posted on social media mourning the death of the mother of his three-year-old son.
