Three South Africans have been charged with murder over the killing of a Nigerian Bolt e-hailing driver, Isaac Satlat, after dashcam footage of the incident was shared widely on social media and sparked public outrage.
The suspects, Dikeledi Mphela, 24; Goitsione Machidi, 25, and McClaren Mushwana, 30, appeared briefly in court in Pretoria, yesterday. They later abandoned their bail applications.
Police also confirmed that a fourth suspect has handed himself over and is expected to appear in court today.
The victim, Isaac Satlat, 22, was a Nigerian national living in South Africa. His family said the attack was not connected to his nationality, despite repeated cases of xenophobic violence in the country.
According to prosecutors, the suspects ordered a Bolt ride last Wednesday using a phone number not registered to any of them.
Authorities said two of the suspects entered Satlat’s vehicle, while the other two followed behind in a separate car. They allegedly forced him to stop, strangled him to death, and robbed him of his phone and vehicle. The car was later recovered.
A dashcam video of the incident, which has been widely shared on social media, shows a man and a woman struggling with the driver before one of the passengers appeared to choke him until he went limp.
The National Prosecuting Authority’s spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana, confirmed that the suspects are also facing robbery charges.
The killing has renewed concerns over the safety of e-hailing drivers in South Africa, where attacks on drivers have been increasing amid high crime rates.
The e-hailing partners council condemned the murder, describing it as not an isolated incident, and called for stronger safety measures to protect drivers. The group also urged e-hailing companies to properly vet and verify passengers to prevent criminals from posing as customers.
On Monday, drivers and political parties gathered outside the courthouse in protest, calling for urgent government intervention.
One driver, quoted by local broadcaster Newzroom Afrika, called for a special task team to tackle attacks on e-hailing drivers and also demanded compensation for families of drivers killed while working.
A spokesperson for the victim’s family, Solomon Ashoms, said Satlat’s father has been deeply affected by the death.
“His dad is struggling. We are very afraid for him because his blood pressure has been shooting up since the death,” he said.
The case against the three suspects was adjourned until next Monday.