A South African attorney, Thubelihle Sbonakaliso Mpisi, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his girlfriend, Mahlako Malebo Rabalao, after the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg found him guilty of killing her and setting her body and vehicle on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence.
The sentence was handed down on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, after the court convicted Mpisi of murder, malicious injury to property and defeating the ends of justice.
Rabalao’s charred remains were discovered inside her Mercedes-Benz on March 9, 2023, near her home in Midrand, Johannesburg.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority, prosecutors successfully established that Rabalao died before the fire was started, even though the extent of the burns made it difficult for medical experts to determine the precise cause of death.
Senior State Advocate Michelle Bayat argued that evidence presented during the trial proved beyond reasonable doubt that Mpisi had killed Rabalao before setting both her body and the vehicle ablaze in an effort to conceal the crime.
The prosecution relied heavily on circumstantial evidence, including cellphone records, forensic findings, expert testimony and Mpisi’s conduct before and after the incident.
Court proceedings revealed that Rabalao, an information technology specialist, had intended to end the relationship and move out of the home she shared with Mpisi before her death.
READ ALSO: FG Begins Compensation Process For Nigerians Hit By South Africa Attacks
She was reportedly weeks away from celebrating her 27th birthday when she was killed.
Investigators also disclosed that the pair shared a three-year-old son.
Mpisi, who was 30 years old at the time of the crime, was arrested in KwaZulu-Natal after four months of investigation.
Before his arrest, he reportedly used social media platforms to express grief and shock over Rabalao’s death.
The case has generated widespread reactions in South Africa, with many describing the verdict as an important step in the fight against gender-based violence in the country.