WATCH | How cop unmasked ‘grieving’ partner as killer

When the charred body of a young mother was found inside a Mercedes-Benz engulfed by flames in Midrand in 2023, it was initially thought her death was due to a freak accident possibly caused by a mechanical failure.

Mahlako Rabalao was burnt beyond recognition, and her death was registered as an inquest case.

Mahlako Malebo Rabalao was found dead, her body burnt beyond recognition, inside a car in Midrand in March 2023. (Mahlaku Malebo Rabalao) However, it was Sgt Thilivhali Nengovhela’s expertise and the use of technology that blew the lid off and led him to the murderer − Thubelihle Sbonakaliso Mpisi, Rabalao’s partner and father of her young son.

Do you remember Mahlako Rabalao, a 26-year-old IT specialist who died after her Mercedes apparently caught fire in March 2023? Sowetan brings you the story of Sgt Thilivhali Nengovhela who was roped into the case after Rabalao’s family complained that the investigation was not… pic.twitter.com/d03jEvHtni— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) August 13, 2026

Speaking to Sowetan, Nengovhela said he was roped into the case after Rabalao’s family complained that the investigation was not receiving the necessary attention.

Nengovhela had been in the police service for 15 years at the time the crime was committed in 2023.

Meanwhile, Mpisi – a lawyer – had played the part of a perfect grieving partner, going to the internet and posting a tribute to her. “Rest in peace, my love. The pain I’m in is so deep. I don’t know where to begin to start picking up the pieces. How do I raise [the child] without you?” he wrote.

Sgt Thilivhali Nengovhela from the Gauteng Provincial Investigation Unit. (Thulani Mbele) Nengovhela said his investigation started with him interviewing Mpisi, who was calm and did not display any sort of emotion.

It was then still an inquest case, but everything changed when Nengovhela received the post-mortem results, which suggested that Rabalao was already dead when the fire started.

That forced him to retrace Rabalao’s movements before her death. He also sought her cellphone, but no one could account for it.

The evidence Nengovhela eventually gathered also revealed that Rabalao’s car had not hit anything before it burst into flames. Also, she had not used it for months, as she had recently bought a new car, which she used regularly.

Cellphone records showed that Rabalao was last at home at about 7.41pm. Mpisi’s cell phone records indicated that he was with Rabalao before moving to another location at around 8pm.

“I then scrutinised the sudden move and checked the place he had moved to, and the records showed that it’s where the vehicle was found burning,” said Nengovhela.

The murder case against lawyer Thubelihle Mpisi has been transferred from the Alexandra magistrate’s court to the Johannesburg high court. (George Lewis /Tumblr) The records further showed that while in the vicinity of the burning vehicle, Mpisi called someone who was later identified as an Uber driver.

Nengovhela traced the driver, who told him Mpisi was a regular customer and had called asking to be picked up from the scene. However, because the burning vehicle had caused a traffic congestion, he could not locate Mpisi and eventually drove off.

Mpisi made several other calls, which suggested he was trying very hard to be picked up.

All this evidence contradicted Mpisi’s version of events, as he had told the police he was at his place all along.

As Nengovhela continued scrutinising the evidence, further clues began to emerge. The fire had started from the passenger seat, which was slightly opened when the car burned.

Another crucial piece of evidence was that Rabalao’s vehicle used diesel, but that petrol was used to start the fire.

That made it clear there was a foul play in Rabalao’s death, said Nengovhela.

Mpisi was then fingered as the perpetrator. He was arrested and charged with murder.

As the case was built on circumstantial evidence, it was not easy for the court, as people thought it was fabricated. Even Rabalao’s family thought so too.

“Some of the deceased family referred to him [Mpisi] as a ‘son’ while he was in the dock; this shows how much they loved and believed him. He also had political backing and a top lawyer who represented him during the initial appearances,” he said.

However, Nengovhela was able to prove the case against Mpisi, who was recently sentenced to life imprisonment.

The cause of Rabalalo’s death has not been established. While the motive of the murder is also unknown, it has since been revealed that the same week she died, she was planning to take her one-year-old son and end the relationship with Mpisi.

Nengovhela told Sowetan that resolving this case was the highlight of his career.

“Based on the fact that when we started the investigation we had nothing, it’s not like a robbery where there’s an obvious suspect.”

He is also on the way to possibly secure another conviction, as he’s the investigator in the DJ Warras murder case.

One of the murder accused, Joaquim Armando Pacula, recently pleaded guilty to the charges. For Nengovhela, justice has been served when a suspect has been convicted.