Flavio Hlabangwane: Family of deceased girlfriend want missing body parts for closure

Flavio Hlabangwane was on Tuesday sentenced to life in prison for premeditated murder by the High Court in Palm Ridge.

He confessed to and was found guilty of killing and mutilating his cousin and lover, Tshepang Pitse.

Meanwhile, eNCA reported that despite Hlabangwane being sentenced to life in jail, her family says they are unable to find full closure as parts of her body are still missing.

The deceased’s uncle, Edward Pitse, said Hlabangwane must reveal where her torso has been buried.

“Now we cannot say anything. As a family, we feel very relieved that the sentence has been served but we are still waiting for the torso to be discovered. Now we cannot say anything because we have actually buried the parts and not the whole body. So we can actually get the torso and be satisfied (sic).

“He has been given life sentences but we still feel that he must disclose where he has buried the torso, he must enjoy his stay in jail.”

Body parts found in fridge

Hlabangwane was arrested in November 2021, after Pitse’s body parts were found in his fridge in Soweto.

At the time, he told the court how he killed Pitse after discovering she had cheated on him.

“I was very angry and bitter towards her,” his admission to the court read.

Hlabangwane, who was referred for psychiatric evaluation at Sterkfontein Hospital, also admitted that he searched on the internet for ways to kill Pitse and “the quickest ways to dispose of the corpse”.

READ MORE: Case against Soweto man accused of storing body parts in fridge postponed

Pitse killed after argument

He admitted that he killed Pitse after the couple had argued over a bank card.

“On 6 October, the deceased and I met at the house, we sat and spoke. I then left, taking her bank card to go to buy food without asking her first. When I came back, the deceased confronted me about this and this started an argument between us, which at the time created an opportunity for me to kill her as planned.”

After dismembering Pitse’s body, Hlabangwane stored the body parts in his freezer.

He said he struggled to sleep alone in the house during this time.

ALSO READ: Body parts in fridge: ‘I couldn’t forgive her for cheating on me,’ Soweto man tells court