Pretoria court denies bail in e‑hailing driver murder case
· Citizen
The Pretoria Magistrate’s Court has shut the door on bail for three men accused of the brutal murder of an e‑hailing driver, ruling that the gravity of the charges and the strength of the State’s case outweighed their pleas for release.
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Goitsione Machidi (25), McClaren Mushwana (30), and Thabang Kenneth Mothwa (27) appeared in court on Tuesday.
Charges
The trio are facing a charge of premeditated murder of a 23-year-old e-hailing driver, Isaac Satlat, as well as robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Three accused in the matter, Dikeledi Tears Mphela (24), Tumishang Mogau Mabutla (23), and his girlfriend, Ofentse Senwamadi (18), previously abandoned their bail application.
It is alleged that the six accused acted in common purpose to kill the e-hailing driver and rob him of his cellphone and vehicle in Atteridgeville on 11 February 2026.
Arrest
Investigations by the South African Police Service (Saps) led to the arrest of all six accused on various dates during February 2026.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said initially, all six accused abandoned their bail applications.
“However, Machidi, Mushwana, and Mothwa subsequently brought a bail application, arguing that the State had a weak case against them and requesting the court to release them on bail.”
Bail opposed
Their application was opposed by Prosecutor Chris Maruma, who argued that the accused are facing serious charges and that their release would disturb public peace and undermine public confidence in the administration of justice.
Mahanjana said Maruma further submitted that Mothwa has a pending matter before the Cullinan Magistrates’ Court relating to the possession of a stolen vehicle, for which he was previously released on bail.
“In delivering judgment, the magistrate agreed with the State’s submissions and found that the State had established a strong prima facie case against the accused.
“The court further found that the three accused had failed to demonstrate the existence of exceptional circumstances that would justify their release on bail. Consequently, bail was denied,” Mahanjana said.
The matter was postponed to 01 September 2026 for further investigations.