E-hailing body decries crimes against drivers

The four accused in the brutal murder of a Bolt e-hailing driver last week will be back in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court next week.

Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo confirmed the fourth suspect, who was also wanted by the police over the murder of an e-hailing driver, handed himself over to the police in Atteridgeville on Monday and appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court yesterday on charges of hijacking and murder.

Police arrests and court appearances

Police have already arrested three others for the killing of 22-year-old Nigerian e-hailing driver Isaac Satlat last Wednesday.

“The two male suspects, aged 30 and 26, will join the third suspect, aged 25, who was arrested on Friday.

“Preliminary investigation suggests the victim was murdered by a male and a female who requested the e-hailing service in Pretoria West.

“The hijacked vehicle and body of the victim were found in Atteridgeville on the same day,” he added.

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E-hailing community reacts to killing

E-hailing Partners Council chair Henry Mathebula said the e-hailing community was devastated and in mourning.

“We condemn the rampant hijackings and killings of e-hailing drivers, particularly on Bolt and Indrive platforms.

“Our heartfelt condolences go to the family and friends of Satlat, a young prospective engineering graduate who was supplementing his income,” he said.

Mathebula said Satlat’s murder was not an isolated incident.

“He joins the growing statistics of hundreds of e-hailing drivers murdered while on duty in recent years. What sets his case apart is the crime was captured on a dashboard camera, which enabled Saps to trace the perpetrators.

Dashcam footage and security concerns

“Footage, which trended on social media, shows Satlat being brutally attacked and strangled to death by two passengers, a male and female, who were part of a group of four,” he added.

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“While we acknowledge the role of the camera footage and the social pressure that led to the swift arrest of the suspects, we remain resolute in our demand for preventative security measures, which could have saved Satlat’s life,” Mathebula added.

He said e-hailing app companies must vet and verify passengers to prevent criminals masquerading as customers, only to rob, hijack, and murder drivers.

Calls for regulatory reform

“We have been calling for these measures since 2016 and in frustration, we appealed to the government to regulate security standards and make them compulsory.

“The e-hailing regulations of 2025 have failed us, serving the exploitative interests of app companies at the expense of drivers.”

“While we welcome the arrests, we remain cautious, as too often we have witnessed catch-and-release tendencies.

“We cannot allow Satlat’s case to follow the same path,” Mathebula added.

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