Pretoria – The Pretoria Magistrate’s Court has refused bail for three individuals charged with the murder of 23-year-old part-time e-hailing driver, Isaac Satlat, siding with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in opposition to their release.
The accused—25-year-old Goitsione Machidi, 30-year-old McClaren Mushwana, and 27-year-old Thabang Kenneth Mothwa—are facing charges of premeditated murder and robbery with aggravated circumstances concerning Isaac Satlat.
Satlat was a Nigerian-born automobile engineering student living in Pretoria, attending Divine Progress Technical College.
He was scheduled to graduate in March 2026 and hoped to pursue further studies in Canada afterward.
The ambitious young man had been working part-time as a Bolt driver for approximately five months, using a vehicle provided by one of his supervisors during his internship, when tragedy struck on 11 February 2026.
On that day, while logged into an active Bolt driver profile, Satlat accepted a ride request in Atteridgeville, Pretoria West, where he was horrifically strangled by multiple attackers who then stole his cellphone and vehicle.
Dashcam footage from Satlat’s car, which became widely circulated on social media, assisted law enforcement in identifying and apprehending the suspects.
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In total, six suspects were arrested for this brutal crime.
Three other defendants in this case—24-year-old Dikeledi Tears Mphela, 23-year-old Tumishang Mogau Mabutla, and 18-year-old Ofentse Senwamadi—had previously abandoned their bail requests.
The NPA claims that all six conspired together to kill Satlat and robbed him of his cellphone and vehicle in Atteridgeville on 11 February 2026.
The South African Police Service apprehended the suspects on various dates throughout February.
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Initially, all six defendants had withdrawn their bail applications; however, Machidi, Mushwana, and Mothwa later argued that the State’s case was weak and sought their release.
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Prosecutor Chris Maruma opposed the bail application, emphasizing the severity of the charges and warning that their release could disrupt public order and weaken trust in the judicial system.
He also noted that Mothwa has an ongoing case in the Cullinan Magistrate’s Court for possession of a stolen vehicle, for which he was previously granted bail.
In his ruling, the magistrate sided with the State, concluding that a solid prima facie case had been established and that the defendants did not prove exceptional circumstances that would justify bail.
NPA Regional Spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana announced that bail was denied, and the case has been postponed to 1 September 2026 for further investigation.
