Three suspects have appeared before the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court facing charges of aggravated robbery and premeditated murder in connection with the killing of 22-year-old e-hailing driver Isaac Satlat.
The accused, identified as Dikeledi Tears Phela, Gositsiane Machidi, and Tinyiko McClaren Mushwana, aged between 25 and 30, abandoned their right to apply for bail during Monday’s proceedings.
The case has been postponed to February 23 for further investigations, with prosecutors set to present additional evidence as police continue probing potential accomplices.
Satlat, a Nigerian national studying in South Africa and working for Bolt to support his education, was hijacked and strangled to death on February 11 in Pretoria West after responding to a ride request.
Dashcam footage capturing the brutal attack by a man and woman went viral on social media, aiding the e-hailing community’s efforts to identify and track the suspects.
A woman was arrested first on February 13, followed by two men aged 30 and 26, with authorities still hunting a fourth suspect. The hijacked vehicle and Satlat’s body were later found abandoned in the Moshongo area of Atteridgeville.
The Pretoria West e-Hailing Association credited social media and digital tracking for accelerating arrests, highlighting the dangers faced by drivers in high-crime areas.
Satlat’s family has described the killing as pure criminality, rejecting claims of xenophobia, while calling for justice.
This incident underscores rising concerns over violence against gig economy workers, with police vowing thorough probes to deter such attacks.
