Three South Africans have been charged with murder following the killing of 22-year-old e-hailing driver Isaac Satlat, whose death, captured on dashcam footage, has sparked widespread outrage. The disturbing video, widely circulated on social media, shows a violent struggle inside the vehicle shortly before Satlat was killed. In the footage, a man and a woman are seen tussling with Satlat in what appears to be a robbery attempt. The driver tries to resist, but one of the passengers appears to strangle him until he goes limp. The graphic nature of the recording has shocked many across the country.
The three suspects, Dikeledi Mphela, 24, Goitsione Machidi, 25, and McClaren Mushwana, 30 were arrested over the weekend and appeared in court in Pretoria on Monday. They have since abandoned their applications for bail and were not asked to comment on the charges during their brief appearance.
A fourth suspect handed himself over to police on Monday and is expected to appear in court on Tuesday. Authorities confirmed that all four suspects face charges of both murder and robbery.
Satlat, a Nigerian national, was working as an e-hailing driver at the time of the incident. In a country frequently affected by xenophobic violence, his family has stressed that the attack was not linked to his nationality.
According to prosecutors, the accused ordered a ride through the Bolt platform using a phone number not registered in any of their names. When the vehicle arrived, Mphela and the fourth suspect allegedly entered the car, while Machidi and Mushwana followed in a separate vehicle.
They then "forced the deceased to stop the vehicle, strangled him to death and robbed him of his cell phone and vehicle which was later recovered", said Lumka Mahanjana, spokesperson for the prosecuting authority.
The killing has renewed concerns over the safety of e-hailing drivers in South Africa, where crime rates remain high and reports of attacks on drivers have been increasing. Many drivers have repeatedly called for stronger protective measures to safeguard their lives.
The e-hailing partners’ council condemned the murder, saying it was not an "isolated incident". The organisation commended the role of dashcam footage and social media in exposing the crime, while urging the introduction of "preventative security measures" and calling on companies to "vet and verify passengers to prevent criminals masquerading as customers".
On Monday, numerous political parties and e-hailing drivers gathered outside the courthouse in protest. One driver, speaking to Newzroom Afrika, called for the government to establish a task team to address the attacks and to create a compensation system for families of drivers killed while working. Family spokesperson Solomon Izang Ashoms said relatives were devastated. "His dad is struggling, we're very afraid for [him] because his blood pressure's been shooting up [since the death]," Ashoms said. The case has been postponed until next Monday.
