Johannesburg Attorney Thubelihle Mpisi Gets Life Sentence for Midrand Girlfriend Murder

• The South Gauteng High Court convicted 30-year-old Thubelihle Sbonakaliso Mpisi on three charges, including murder
• Mahlako Malebo Rabalao's charred remains were found inside her Mercedes-Benz near her Midrand home in March 2023
• Prosecutors built their case on cellphone records, forensic findings and evidence of Mpisi's behaviour before and after the incident
• The Not In My Name organisation welcomed the judgment, describing it as the conclusion of a painful journey that began when Mahlako Malope's charred remains were discovered inside her Mercedes-Benz near her home

JOHANNESBURG — A Johannesburg attorney has been handed a life sentence after being found guilty of murdering his girlfriend, whose body was discovered burnt inside her car in Midrand.

The South Gauteng High Court convicted Thubelihle Sbonakaliso Mpisi, 30, of the murder of 26-year-old IT specialist Mahlako Malebo Rabalao, as well as malicious injury to property and defeating the administration of justice.

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Rabalao's charred remains were found inside her Mercedes-Benz on 9 March 2023, near the Midrand home she shared with Mpisi.

Circumstantial evidence secured the conviction

According to IOL, National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Magaboke Mohlatlole confirmed that Senior State Advocate Michelle Bayat led the prosecution. Bayat successfully argued that, despite medical experts being unable to pinpoint the exact cause of death due to the extent of the burns, the available evidence established beyond a reasonable doubt that Rabalao had died before the fire was ignited.

The State's case rested on a combination of cellphone records, forensic analysis, expert testimony and Mpisi's conduct in the period surrounding the incident. Prosecutors contended that Mpisi killed Rabalao and subsequently set her body and vehicle alight in a deliberate attempt to conceal the crime.

Evidence presented during the trial indicated the couple had been in a romantic relationship and shared a flat. In the weeks before her death, Rabalao had confided in family members and friends that she intended to end the relationship and move out of the apartment.

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Mpisi arrested in KwaZulu-Natal after four months

Following a four-month investigation, authorities tracked Mpisi down in KwaZulu-Natal and placed him under arrest on 28 July 2023. He subsequently abandoned his bail application and has remained in custody since.

Before his arrest, Mpisi had taken to social media to publicly mourn Rabalao. In a Facebook post dated 23 March 2023, he wrote about the pain of losing the mother of his three-year-old son and expressed gratitude to those who had offered support during the period.

The court ultimately found that the cumulative weight of the State's circumstantial case proved Mpisi's guilt, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder.

Organisation welcomes life sentence for Mpisi

In a statement sent to Briefly News, the organisation acknowledged the three-year wait for justice endured by Malope's family, particularly her son, who has had to live with the trauma of her death.

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"While no sentence can restore Mahlako's life or erase the trauma suffered by her loved ones, today's judgment sends a clear message that those who commit acts of gender-based violence will be held accountable. Justice delayed must never become justice denied," the organisation said.

The organisation added that the ruling offers a measure of closure to the family and reinforces the importance of ensuring that perpetrators of gender-based violence face the full might of the law.

3 Briefly articles on sentences for murder

• A 30-year-old Mpumalanga woman has been sentenced to 20 years behind bars for the murder of her police officer boyfriend.
• A man found guilty of the brutal murder of 14-year-old Bhekimuzi Ziko in Nkomazi has been sentenced to life behind bars.
• Jacob Mokibe was handed a life sentence by the South Gauteng High Court for murdering a 12-year-old girl on February 15, 2022.

Source: Briefly News