Dashcam footage of a deadly struggle has placed South Africa’s e-hailing safety crisis in the spotlight after a young driver was killed during what appeared to be a robbery.
Three South Africans have been charged in connection with the killing of Isaac Satlat, whose death has sparked public outrage and calls for urgent action to protect drivers on duty.
The suspects, Dikeledi Mphela, 24, Goitsione Machidi, 25, and McClaren Mushwana, 30, appeared briefly in a Pretoria court on Monday following their arrest over the weekend.
They have since dropped their bail applications and did not comment on the charges. A fourth suspect turned himself in later that day and is expected to face court proceedings on Tuesday. All four individuals also face robbery charges.
Satlat, 22, a Nigerian national, had been operating under the e-hailing platform Bolt when the attack occurred last Wednesday.
Prosecutors said the accused used a phone number not linked to any of them to book the ride. Mphela and the fourth suspect entered Satlat’s car, while Machidi and Mushwana followed in a separate vehicle, according to authorities.
Dashcam footage circulated on social media captures a violent confrontation in which Satlat tries to resist his attackers as they appear to rob him. One passenger can be seen strangling him until he collapses.
The prosecuting authority spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana, said the suspects “forced the deceased to stop the vehicle, strangled him to death and robbed him of his cell phone and vehicle which was later recovered.”
Satlat’s family insisted that the killing had no connection to his nationality, despite South Africa’s history of xenophobic violence. The tragic incident has intensified concern over driver safety, as e-hailing operators continue to face attacks in a country with one of the highest murder rates worldwide.
The e-hailing partners’ council condemned the killing, stating it was not an “isolated incident,” and highlighted the importance of dashcam footage and social media in revealing the crime.
They also urged companies to “vet and verify passengers to prevent criminals masquerading as customers” and called for stronger security measures to protect drivers.
Outside the courthouse, several political parties and drivers gathered to protest. One driver, speaking to Newzroom Afrika, demanded that authorities set up a task team to handle attacks on drivers and establish a system to compensate the families of those killed while working.
Solomon Izang Ashoms, speaking on behalf of the Satlat family, described the emotional toll of the murder. “His dad is struggling, we're very afraid for [him] because his blood pressure's been shooting up [since the death],” he said. The case against the three accused was postponed to next Monday.
