Woman set alight in car: Johannesburg lawyer back in court

The 30-year-old suspect who stands accused of gruesomely killing and burning his girlfriend inside a car in President Park, Midrand, is set to apply for bail today.

The man, who is a lawyer by profession, is accused of killing his girlfriend and mother of his child – Mahlako Malebo Rabalao – in March.

Rabalao, 27 at the time, worked as an IT specialist in Centurion. She was reported missing on March 7 and later found dead inside her car the same day.

Her boyfriend was arrested in KZN on July 28 after a warrant of arrest was issued by the Randburg Magistrate’s Court.

Lawyers

During the suspect’s most recent appearance – in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on August 7 – lawyers representing him reportedly recused themselves from the case.

On the day his formal bail application was postponed to today.

Family speaks out

The family of Rabalao said they first heard that she had been murdered when they received a call from her boyfriend, a Joburg-based legal practitioner.

One of Rabalao’s family members, who spoke to Midrand Reporter on condition of anonymity, said the boyfriend was the first person to inform them about her death.

“He told us that the police came to him and informed him that Mahlako was found dead in a burnt car a few streets away from their home in Midrand, Johannesburg.”

She said the family is shocked by the boyfriend’s arrest. “We never thought he could be linked to Mahlako’s death. The man was helping us look for her and assured us that he would go to all her friends and her workplace to find out where she was. But what surprised us is that he didn’t report her missing to the police,” said the family member.

The family said the couple has a three-year-old son.

Shortly after her death, the suspect posted photos of the three of them on TikTok showing their happy days as a family.

“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 [child’s name withheld] ungekho [without you]? I thank God for giving me the time we’ve shared. Nothing can ever take that away,” reads a part of the long message he posted.