Flavio Hlabangwane was charged with murder after his new girlfriend found body parts in his fridge. He appeared at the Protea magistrate court and faced a murder charge.

The accused appeared in the Protea magistrate’s court in Soweto in November 2021. He received charges of murder after his new girlfriend found body parts, arms, and legs, in his fridge.

According to his mother, Grace Hlabangwane, he called her around 1 pm to tell her of his arrest. He told her the reason was because of body parts. At first, she did not understand what he said.

Before his arrest, Hlabangwane had arranged a family meeting. He wanted to see his mother that day to tell her about the flat he had bought. His mother described him as an introvert, a recluse, and a bookworm.

Grace says that he is intelligent and has no friends. He wrote his last of 13 exams related to actuarial science some days before the arrest. After he graduated, Flavio extended their three-roomed house to five.

The accused has ten best academic achiever trophies lined up against the wall. He passed his matric with a hundred percent in mathematics in 2012. He attended Immaculata Secondary School and was a head boy.

Flavio had Saturday tuition classes from grades 10 to 12, sponsored by De Beers. He told his mother that he lived in Randburg but stayed in Protea Glen.

Hlabangwane attempted to take his life at the time of his arrest. He stabbed himself in the neck with a sharp object.

In November, the accused underwent mental observation after he attempted suicide twice. He then told the court that he would acquire the services of the Legal Aid Board.

In January 2023, the Johannesburg high court court found Flavio Hlabangwane guilty of premeditated murder, defeating the ends of justice, and violating a corpse.

Hlabangwane confessed to killing his girlfriend and cousin, Tshepang Pitse. He said he plotted to do so after discovering she had been unfaithful.

Speaking to the court, sitting in the Palm Ridge magistrate’s court, he said the murder, dismembering, and discarding of her body parts happened between November 1 and 13, 2021.

Tshepang was buried in 2022 without all her body parts. At first, the police thought that her murder was related to a ritualistic killing.

Flavio Hlabangwane is 28 years old.