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Three South Africans appeared in a Pretoria magistrates’ court Monday charged with the premeditated murder and robbery of a 22-year-old Nigerian ride-hailing driver whose killing, captured on dashcam footage and widely circulated online, has drawn public attention to the dangers faced by e-hailing operators in South Africa.
Isaac Satlat died on February 11 after accepting a booking through a ride-hailing platform in Pretoria West. He was strangled inside his vehicle by passengers he had picked up following a request placed from a mobile number not registered in any of the suspects’ names, according to a statement released Monday by the South African National Prosecuting Authority.
The three defendants — Dikeledi Tears Mphela, 24, Goitsione Machidi, 25, and McClaren Mushwana, 30 — abandoned a bail application during Monday’s proceedings. The case was adjourned to February 23 to allow investigators additional time.
NPA regional spokesperson for Gauteng, Lumka Mahanjana, outlined the sequence of events in the prosecution’s account. Mphela and an unidentified accomplice boarded Satlat’s vehicle while Machidi and Mushwana followed in a separate car. Once inside, Mphela and her accomplice forced the driver to stop, strangled him, and took his mobile phone and vehicle. Satlat’s body was left on the back seat. Police later located the car with his remains inside.
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“Mphela and her accomplice allegedly forced the deceased to stop the vehicle, strangled him to death and robbed him of his cell phone and vehicle which was later recovered,” Mahanjana said.
Dashcam footage recovered from the car showed a female passenger attacking Satlat while a male occupant in the rear seat joined the assault. The recording was subsequently shared widely across social media platforms, prompting public outcry and intensifying pressure on authorities to act quickly.
Police arrested Mphela on February 13, two days after the killing. Machidi and Mushwana were taken into custody on February 15 following further investigations by the South African Police Service.
A fourth suspect, whose identity authorities have not publicly disclosed, surrendered to police on Monday and is expected to appear in court Tuesday to face charges.
Mahanjana noted that at least one additional accomplice remains at large.
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The NPA said it remained committed to prosecuting violent crimes in coordination with law enforcement. “The National Prosecuting Authority remains committed to working closely with law enforcement agencies to ensure that perpetrators of violent crimes are brought to justice,” Mahanjana said.
Satlat’s death has renewed debate in South Africa over safety conditions for drivers operating on ride-hailing platforms such as Uber and Bolt, a sector that has expanded significantly in urban centers over the past decade.
Drivers have repeatedly raised concerns about the risks of accepting rides from unknown passengers, particularly late at night or in high-crime areas, with industry bodies calling for stronger vetting mechanisms and real-time emergency response systems.
South Africa records some of the highest rates of violent crime globally. Robbery and murder involving vehicle hijackings remain persistent problems, with Gauteng province — which encompasses Pretoria and Johannesburg — consistently registering among the country’s highest incident figures.
The Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria has not issued a public statement on Satlat’s death as of Monday. Nigerian community representatives in South Africa have not been quoted in official proceedings.
The case returns to the Pretoria magistrates’ court on February 23.
