Lawyer convicted after trying to cover up girlfriend’s mvrder by burning her car

A South African court has sentenced lawyer Thubelihle Sbonakaliso Mpisi to life imprisonment for the murder of his girlfriend, Mahlako Malebo Rabalao, after finding that he attempted to cover up the crime by setting her car on fire with her body inside.

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

According to prosecutors, Rabalao was killed before her body was placed inside her Mercedes-Benz, which was then deliberately set ablaze in Midrand, Johannesburg, in March 2023, 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 told family and friends she planned to end her relationship with Mpisi and move out of the apartment they shared before she was killed.

Investigators built their case using cellphone records, forensic evidence, expert testimony, and Mpisi's actions before and after the incident.

He was arrested in KwaZulu-Natal following a four-month investigation and remained in custody from July 2023 until his conviction.

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

On Tuesday, August 4, 2026, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment, bringing an end to the high-profile case.