LAWYER STRANGLED GIRLFRIEND TO DEATH BEFORE BURNING HER BODY IN A CAR
Thubelihle Sbonakaliso Mpisi, a lawyer from Port Shepstone (arrested in KwaZulu-Natal), was charged with the murder of his girlfriend Mahlako (or Mahlaku) Malebo Rabalao, an IT specialist and mother of their young child. Her body was found burned beyond recognition in her Mercedes-Benz in Midrand, Johannesburg, on or around March 9, 2023.
Investigators found petrol was used to start the fire (not a mechanical fault), the post-mortem showed she died before the fire, Cellphone records placed Mpisi near the scene, and an Uber driver testified that he had picked him up close to where the burnt vehicle and body were found.
Mpisi publicly mourned her on social media (e.g., emotional Facebook posts/TikTok posts), which drew sympathy before his arrest in late July 2023. He was in custody thereafter and abandoned bail.
After a three-year investigation and trial, the court found him guilty. He is due to be sentenced in August 2026.
