Arrests mount in e-hailing driver Isaac Satlat’s murder case as three more appear in court

The case of the murder of Nigerian e-hailing driver Isaac Satlat widened on Wednesday, 18 February 2026, when three more suspects appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court.

Tumishang Mogau Mabutla, 23, his girlfriend Ofentse Senwamadi, 18, and Thabang Kenneth Mothwa, 27, were brought before the court after being arrested on Monday, 16 February.

Investigators have linked the trio to Satlat’s killing on 11 February, adding to the three accused who have already been charged.

The accused have joined Dikeledi Tears Mphela, Goitsione Machidi and McClaren Mushwana, who earlier this week abandoned their bail applications.

Isaac Satlat murder case postponed

According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), all six accused are alleged to have acted with common purpose to hijack and murder the 22-year-old Nigerian national.

“It is further alleged that after disposing of the deceased’s body, the accused took the vehicle of the deceased to Mothwa for him to remove the tracker from the vehicle,” the NPA said in a statement on Wednesday.

Mabutla faces charges of premeditated murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances.

Senwamadi has been charged with premeditated murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances as an accessory after the fact.

Mothwa is charged with robbery with aggravating circumstances as an accessory after the fact.

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The matter has been postponed to 23 February for one of the accused to obtain a legal representative and for all six accused to appear together in court, the NPA confirmed.

EWN has since reported that another suspect, Thabiso Kaizer Mphahlele, informed the court that he will not apply for bail and intends to plead guilty to charges of premeditated murder, kidnapping and robbery with aggravating circumstances.

His lawyer reportedly told the court that the state’s case was strong and that pursuing bail would waste time.

Dashcam footage that appears to capture Satlat’s death has circulated widely on social media, drawing significant public attention.

Bolt confirms policy breach

Meanwhile, e-hailing company Bolt has reportedly confirmed that Satlat was operating under a different driver’s profile at the time of the incident.

The account belonged to Wiseman Makobe, a registered driver with an active profile on the platform.

Makobe allegedly completed the required verification process before Satlat used the profile on the fateful day.

The account has been permanently deactivated and barred from any further use on the platform.

Bolt reiterated that profile sharing is against its rules and clarified its compensation framework.

The company reportedly stated that full support – including compensation for death, serious injury, disability and medical costs – is only available to drivers who are legally operating under their own verified accounts.

It added that if a driver is using someone else’s profile or impersonating another person, they are regarded as operating unlawfully and are not covered by the platform’s compensation policy.

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