Three South Africans have been charged with the alleged murder of a 22-year-old Nigerian e-hailing driver, Isaac Satlat, following an incident in Pretoria West.
The suspects, Dikeledi Tears Mphela, 24, Goitsione Machidi, 25, and McClaren Mushwana, 30, appeared before the Pretoria magistrates’ court on Monday.
They are facing charges of premeditated murder and robbery, according to the National Prosecuting Authority.
In a statement, the NPA said the defendants abandoned their bail application and that the matter had been adjourned until 23 February for further investigations.
The NPA’s Gauteng regional spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana, said prosecutors allege that on 11 February 2026 the accused ordered an e-hailing service using a mobile phone number not registered in their names.
Mphela and an accomplice, who is still at large, allegedly entered the vehicle, while the other two suspects followed in a separate car.
It is alleged that the driver was later forced to stop, killed, and robbed of his mobile phone and vehicle which was subsequently recovered.
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Investigators said the incident was recorded by a camera installed in the vehicle, with the footage later circulating on social media.
Mphela was arrested on 13 February, while Machidi and Mushwana were taken into custody on 15 February.
Also, the NPA said investigations are continuing, adding that a fourth suspect handed himself over to police on Monday and is expected to be charged.
Police later recovered the hijacked vehicle with Satlat’s body inside.
Notably, the killing has drawn condemnation from Nigeria’s Federal Government through the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission.
Its chair and chief executive, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, called for the arrest and prosecution of all those involved.
She urged South African authorities to ensure that justice is served and to strengthen the protection of foreign nationals, citing issues over repeated reports of violent attacks on Nigerians in the country.