A South African court has sentenced lawyer Thubelihle Sbonakaliso Mpisi to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of his girlfriend, Mahlako Malebo Rabalao, whose burnt remains were found inside her Mercedes-Benz in Midrand, Johannesburg, in March 2023. The South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg found Mpisi guilty of murder, malicious injury to property, and defeating the administration of justice. Following a four-month investigation, Mpisi was arrested in KwaZulu-Natal in July 2023 and has remained behind bars ever since. In a chilling twist, Mpisi had publicly mourned Rabalao on social media before his arrest, posting messages expressing shock and sadness over her death. On Tuesday, August 4, 2026, the court handed down a life sentence, bringing a measure of justice to a case that shocked South Africa.