A South African attorney has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his girlfriend, Mahlako Malebo Rabalao, whose body was found burnt inside her vehicle in Johannesburg.

The South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg handed down the sentence after convicting Thubelihle Sbonakaliso Mpisi of murder, malicious damage to property and defeating the administration of justice.

Rabalao’s charred remains were discovered inside her Mercedes-Benz near her home in Midrand in March 2023. Prosecutors argued that she had been killed before her body and vehicle were set ablaze in an attempt to destroy evidence and conceal the crime.

The court relied on circumstantial evidence, including cellphone records, forensic findings, expert testimony and Mpisi’s conduct before and after the incident, to establish his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

Evidence presented during the trial showed that Rabalao had planned to end the relationship and move out of the apartment she shared with Mpisi before her death.

Before his arrest in July 2023, Mpisi had taken to social media to publicly mourn Rabalao and express shock over her death. He was later arrested following a four-month investigation and remained in custody until his conviction and sentencing.