₦airaland Forum

Live Court Proceedings


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc_B8EGjJMs

The case against suspects accused of the murder of e-hailing driver Isaac Satlat has been postponed to March.

This after accused number one, Dikeledi Mphela, was not brought to court from Attridgeville prison in Monday's court proceedings.

According to documents from correctional services, Mphela is only scheduled to appear in court in March.

Despite this, the matter was set down for Monday in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court

The misunderstanding stemmed from a J7 form, which authorises the detention of suspects.

The form is dated the 3rd of March instead of the 23rd of February, resulting in the accused not being transported to court.

Six suspects were arrested in connection with Satlat's murder, who was hijacked and killed in his vehicle.

Meanwhile, the lawyer representing the Satlat family has described the delay as disappointing.

"We are not happy, because this is a highly sensitive matter its a public matter, missing a date of court should not have taken place, there's no reason why they should miss the date."

ZIM RULING PARTY AWAITS ANSWERS

Zimbabwe’s ruling party, ZANU-PF, is waiting for an official word from South African officials about the arrest of Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, the youngest son of the late President Robert Mugabe, following a shooting at his upscale home in Hyde Park. The 28-year-old was taken into custody on Thursday, 19 February 2026, along with a 33-year-old man, after a 23-year-old gardener was shot and left in critical condition. Police are probing the case as attempted murder, with searches turning up bullet casings but no gun yet. This incident has stirred worries in the quiet suburb, known for its luxury homes and tight security, and brought back memories of the Mugabe family’s past troubles in South Africa.

Back in Zimbabwe, ZANU-PF has taken note of the arrest but is holding back until South Africa gives a full account. Party leaders say they want clear facts before commenting more, showing care in handling a matter tied to their former leader’s family. Robert Mugabe, who ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years until 2017, died in 2019, but his legacy still looms large in the party and country.

Some in Zimbabwe see the Mugabes as still powerful, with Grace Mugabe holding sway. Reactions there mix surprise with talks of how the family has been handled gently by the government. One view is that Grace remains influential, which might shape how officials respond. For now, ZANU-PF’s wait for South Africa’s statement points to the need for good ties between the two nations, especially on legal issues crossing borders.

WHO IS BELLARMINE CHATUNGA MUGABE?

Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, born in 1997, is the youngest of Robert and Grace Mugabe’s three sons. He has lived a life of luxury but also under the spotlight for wrong reasons. His brothers, Robert Junior and an older stepbrother from Grace’s first marriage, have also made headlines for wild parties and legal scrapes. Bellarmine himself faced claims in 2023 of damaging property in Harare, adding to the family’s list of troubles.

The Hyde Park home belongs to Grace Mugabe, who has spent time there since her husband’s death. The family owns several spots in South Africa, using them as a base away from Zimbabwe’s politics. Grace, now in her 60s, has her own past issues here—a 2017 assault case where she allegedly hit a model with an extension cord, leading to a warrant that was never served. She got diplomatic immunity back then, but it has left questions about her status.

Chatunga Bellarmine Mugabe, son of late Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, was arrested in Johannesburg on Thursday.

Early information from the scene suggested an alleged labour dispute between the gardener and one of the suspects led to the violent exchange.

The victim was taken to hospital. It was indicated that he is in a critical condition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pILUtEtqiVw


Live Court Proceedings


Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe will be made to wait another week before seeking release.

The son of former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has been charged with attempted murder and defeating the ends of justice.

He appeared alongside co-accused Thobias Mugabe Matonhdze at the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 23 February.

The matter was postponed until 3 March where the pair are expected to submit their bail applications.

The men were arrested last week on Thursday after a gardener shooting at the Mugabe residence in Hyde Park, Johannesburg.

Police have been searching for the weapon alleged to have been used in the shooting, but have so far been unsuccessful.

Speaking to the media outside the court on Monday, the accused’s legal representative declined to comment on any family relations that the men may share.

Previous thread: Mugabe's Son Arrested in SA For Shooting Of Gardener
https://www.nairaland.com/8621983/mugabes-son-arrested-south-africa

KLEINBASS:
The gardener also happens to be Zimbabweans, the Mugabe boy is on drugs

I can believe that.

Hemanwel:
What kind of kindergarten grammar is "For Shooting of A Gardener"? Why not simply say, "For Shooting A Gardener"?

2 suspects are involved... Who shot the gardener? Hence the "kindergarten grammar".

walosky:
What kinda caption is that? Did he shoot a Guard or a Gardener ?

Early reports suggested it was guard.

Former first lady of Zimbabwe, Grace Mugabe, is in distress following the arrest of her son in Johannesburg on Thursday afternoon. That’s according to sources who made the revelations to SABC News Specialist Correspondent Sophie Mokoena.

Grace Mugabe faces an active, outstanding arrest warrant in South Africa related to the 2017 assault of model Gabriella Engels at a Johannesburg hotel. Although originally granted diplomatic immunity, the South African High Court overturned this decision, allowing potential prosecution for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxRT7HcRQQk?si=EZ3U9Hg2fR_MYmiI

"I spoke to someone who has a strong relationship with the Mugabe family. He indicated to me that the former first lady, Grace Mugabe, is very angry because she has been speaking to her children, telling them to behave. Because if you remember, the other son was arrested in Zimbabwe last year with dagga. And also, the very same son who is now arrested in South Africa, at some point in time, he made court appearances in Zimbabwe.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doV3gw3ZwDo?si=kkneFMYdOhjQt-Bz

Chatunga Bellarmine Mugabe has been arrested at his Johannesburg home.

The son of the late former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is reportedly one of two suspects who had been arrested on Thursday at the Mugabe residence in Hyde Park, Johannesburg.

Speaking to the media outside the premises, Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirmed that the two suspects would be taken into custody and questioned as part of an attempted murder investigation.

Police were flagged down on Thursday morning by private security who relayed that a shooting had taken place on the Mugabe property.

The victim was initially believed to be a security guard, but Nevhuhulwi confirmed that preliminary investigations state he was a 23-year-old gardener.

Reaction from Zimbabwe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzdINPZrKVg?si=a0xlf7MBnHslapsp

Early information from the scene suggests an alleged labour dispute between the gardener and one of the suspects led to the violent exchange.

Police state that the number of shots fired had not been confirmed, but a cartridge had been found at the scene.

“We have our dog unit inside, and some of our officers inside searching for the firearm.

“The victim has been taken to hospital. It was indicated that he is in a critical condition, but we are hoping that he will be fine,” said the colonel.

Television news crews showed footage of police officers handcuffing Mugabe and the second suspect shortly before 1pm.

Initial reports stated that Mugabe had barricaded himself in his room, but Nevhuhulwi confirmed he and his companion were cooperating with authorities.

“Bramley station detectives and Forensic Crime Scene Management are processing the scene and two men, aged 28 and 33, have been taken in for questioning,” police stated.

Confirmation that the men had been formally charged with attempted murder was released on Thursday evening, with the men set for a court appearance at the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Idaytesj29:
I bet you look more like Pieter Willem Botha, your Lord and Ona.

I guess he saved us from bleaching like you and your family

Idaytesj29:
He is more handsome than you

I look like Tinubu

Urgent1Million:
The incident isn't any fault of bolt's.
No amount of security initiatives by Bolt would stop criminals from operating like they did.
Bolt doesn't vet customer who order rides. If they turn out to be criminals and murderers, jo one can blame Bolt.
Even if a Bolt-verified driver comits a crime while completing a trip, Bolt will bot be held completely liable. A person with a very clean record can develop a criminal mind just in one day.
Bolt has a couple of responsibilities to their drivers and customers, no doubt, but they took the attempt to exonerate themselves a little too far.
For what it's worth, the person with the crimw here is the owner of the profile who let someone else use his profile.
He should even be the first suspect in this crime.

Part of what has led Bolt to issue this statement (and not wait til later as you would like) is because there's been public questions as to why the driver profile didn't match that of the victim.

Both owner and driver are culpable unfortunately, as young as he was, it was a violation of customer trust in a country battling with high rates of rape and other crime. That's why I said Bolt could potentially get a knock from this - it wasn't anything personal against Nigerians. You guys are overreacting.

Urgent1Million:
It's not possible for an unregistered driver to operate with the app.
As far as bolt is concerned, every account belongs to a certified driver, duly vetted by them.
So when bolt says "driver", they mean a profile in their database.
That's why they discourage profile sharing.
For one reason or another, people still share their profiles. Bolt does a periodic in app facial verification but somehow, those who share profiles still manage to find their way around it.
When an accident happens with a vehicle driven by a profile (driver), bolt only recognises the original owner of that profile as the driver.
Any other person is at best an impersonator.
The profile owner would be held responsible, even for a breach of contract. It's like sharing your bank app login details and losing your money.

Fair enough, but there's still the possibility of attempts to sue Bolt or exposure to brand damage, right?

Infact, this statement alone has the potential to scare customers away because it's an admission of serious security gaps, right? So, it's not a move Bolt took lightly in their attempt to "smear Nigerians" and protect SA criminals as many of you have concluded, correct?

dfrost:
The lawsuit wasn't coming for them. Why bother? This is a crime against the state. It's murder. They have nothing to protect.

If it was he that committed a crime 🫆, then their statement would be in order to deny him as a lawful employee/partner to the service. In this case, it's a no-no.

Bolt SA goofed on this one. A spade 🪏 is not a shovel.

Bolt had questions to answer because the public was under the impression someone else had been murdered.

Urgent1Million:
Yes.
The owner of the profile would have been held responsible.
And that's the kind of situation that would warrant the release of this kind of statement of illegal profile sharing by bolt.

You mean there'd be absolutely no culpability on Bolt if an unregistered driver killed a client and that they wouldn't be susceptible to lawsuits for not fool-proofing their app against unregistered drivers. Also think of the reputational damage this would cause.

Urgent1Million:
For what it's worth, the killer's would have killed whoever was using the profile to drive, even if it was the profile owner.
Not sharing profiles doesn't prevent any car-jacking or any other crime.
If both wanted to dodge a y financial and insurance obligations, they could still have done that if the bereaved demand for such benefits.

What if the unregistered driver was the one who committed the crime against a customer, would Bolt be protected?

Idaytesj29:
Cocky Randy Rand Digitaless

Lionessza6:
That's exactly what I'm saying. They are protecting themselves from any kind of lawsuit or claim against the company by revealing that they had no legal relationship with him. But his smart compatriot here can't read between the lines.....well, that's the disadvantage of a formal economy ,you reason on this level . To them it's personal; not a cooperation protecting itself from scrutiny and accusations .

😂😂😂

Lionessza6:
No one is justifying any murder here ,bolt as an employer has a responsibility to reveal the contract they had with this guy who was on a student visa. That's how things work in South Africa, you don't reveal other facts and hide others.

Satlat wasn't on Bolt's books.

"It added that the late foreign national had illegally used the profile of another driver, a man identified as Wiseman Makobe."

"On the day of the incident, Mr. Makobe completed the required verification process, after which Mr. Satlat operated using that profile. This constitutes profile sharing."

"Profile sharing is strictly prohibited on the Bolt platform. It undermines passenger trust, compromises safety, and violates our agreements with drivers."

Bolt South Africa has confirmed that the murdered e-hailing driver, Isaac Satlat, was not registered and illegally used a profile belonging to another.

The foreign national was killed by passengers in a shocking video caught on a dash cam.

Three suspects appeared in Pretoria Magistrates Court on Monday, 16 February, on charges of murder and hijacking. A fourth suspect has since been arrested.

In a statement posted on its social media platforms, Bolt South Africa offered its condolences to the family and loved ones of driver Isaac Satlalt.

The e-hailing company condemned the murder, stating it was working with police in the ongoing investigation.

Bolt revealed that Satlat – a 22-year-old Nigerian – was not a registered driver. It added that the late foreign national had illegally used the profile of another driver, a man identified as Wiseman Makobe.

In all likelihood, Setlat paid Makobe to use his profile in order to utilise the app as a driver – a practice that e-hailing companies strongly condemn.

It shared: “On the day of the incident, Mr. Makobe completed the required verification process, after which Mr. Satlat operated using that profile. This constitutes profile sharing. The profile has since been permanently hard-blocked and banned from operating on the platform.

It added: “Profile sharing is strictly prohibited on the Bolt platform. It undermines passenger trust, compromises safety, and violates our agreements with drivers”.

Bolt revealed it had implemented multiple safeguards to curb the practice, including mandatory identity verification, regular in-app selfie checks, device monitoring, and data-led risk detection systems. Drivers who contravene this rule can face immediate suspension and permanent bans.

WHO WAS ISAAC SATLAT?

Isaac Satlat was a 22-year-old Nigerian foreign national who lived and studied in South Africa.

According to accounts by family members, Satlat completed a qualification in automotive mechanical engineering and was set to graduate next month. He was on a study visa, which permits individuals to work for up to 20 hours per week.

In December, he was hired by the owner of the vehicle he drove to become a Bolt driver.

On Wednesday, 11 February, he was attacked by two individuals who requested a ride on the e-hailing app. Two other individuals in another car were involved in the coordinated attack.

Satlat’s body was found in Atteridgeville, a township located outside Pretoria. His family are hoping to raise funds via a BackaBuddy campaign to have his remains repatriated.
#

seppuku:
But how do they jump to the conclusion that he is on a student visa.

From what I gather, He went to elementary and secondary school there.?

Let's just agree the general sentiment on social media opposes this murder. You not gonna drag me into a fight today Morpheus🙂‍↔️🙂‍↔️🙂‍↔️

seppuku:
In those same comments about being appalled why are your people bringing up the fact that he was on a student visa and working an e hailing driver.

Appalled my ass. Always looking for a justification to paint a foreign national bad.

Breaking SA visa laws is also a crime, wouldn't you agree? Doesn't take away from the fact that most South Africans have condemned this murder and are celebrating the capture of these criminals. Let's not have silly fights.

KingCold:
They get mad when you post good stuff about SA forgetting that you are well-rounded

Ironically, those are the same ones who always say SA envies them but they can't stand good SA news. This thread is their kind of fodder.

KingCold:
And they still coming back for more right? thats why we are among the most visited countries in Africa, right?

Did you see how this UK dude ripped into dum.b Nigerians like this one after he called them the most failed state in the world where even the killing of 200 people in one go doesn't make news anymore?

Yet, this confirm4real is busy trying to drag SA down to his level 👎🏽💩💩💩


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJN3zoer5iM?si=G_TCpOrUw9wM2ZEM

lakefist:
I think you earned my respect now. Posting news about SA on nairaland knowing that backlash would likely pour out.

SA has been appalled by this story - the proof is there in the comments sections all over social media and the story is making headlines.

Yes I knew there would immature comments in this thread and they proved me right - not even engaging them today. But I also knew there would be level headed Nigerians.

Live proceedings of 3 suspects appearing in court today.

https://www.youtube.com/live/b-Vw6jpj-Go?si=vts9SwzEJeuxffKK

Isaac's uncle speaks to South African media.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owS0aJPerCk?si=A2IWT0NX50ml-t47

FAMILY SEEKS HELP RETURNING BODY TO NIGERIA

The family of an e-hailing driver, who was killed in Pretoria West this week, is pleading for assistance to return his body home to Nigeria.

22-year-old Isaac David Satlat, was strangled to death by two passengers who had requested the e-hailing service.

The hijacked vehicle and Satlat's body were found in Atteridgeville on the same day.

Satlat's uncle and family spokesperson, Otila Onoja, said their family is devastated.

"We need funds to take him back home so that he can be laid to rest in his hometown where he's from. We need more to be done. This is very heartbreaking for us and we need more safety for other people who are working on this job, like Isaac."

Satlat, who was studying mobile engineering, was set to graduate next month.

South Africa's Meter Taxi and E-hailing Association's Eugene Ngoetjana says drivers are being targeted by criminals.

"My gut is telling me that this is criminality. It was opportunism. If anything, we found that our drivers are highly targeted simply because it's easy for anyone to just request the right. It's literally the easiest or the most laziest form of criminality that we find in society today. So to be honest, it is just something that is linked to our job's bloodbath, a lack of opportunities, and criminality will, what can I say, fester in this kind of economic conditions and not to make an excuse for the criminality itself, but that was pure opportunism, that was pure criminality, and it cannot be conflated with other broader issues."

South African police have arrested two more suspects in the horrific killing of an e-hailing driver who was murdered inside a car in Pretoria West.

The police launched a probe after a disturbing social media video depicting an alleged car-seat murder went viral, showing the final moments of a driver.

The murder of Isaac David Satlat sent shockwaves across the country, leaving his family distraught and heartbroken.

Satlats’ family has pleaded for assistance to return his body home to Nigeria.

On Friday, police spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo confirmed that the incident occurred on Wednesday, 11 February, and that a female suspect had been arrested.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTAe7Bgdg9k?si=tNWTBa_SeTmeVbCJ

On Monday, Masondo confirmed that more suspects had been arrested.

“The two male suspects, who are aged 30 and 26, will join the third suspect, aged 25, who was arrested on Friday, 13 February.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72dqYugzthM?si=96uSxgFhj0ntQ3FY

“All suspects are expected to appear before the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 16 February, facing charges that include car hijacking and murder,” Masondo said.

Masondo added that police are still on the lookout for the fourth suspect.


Previous thread https://www.nairaland.com/8617791/isaac-satlat-nigerian-e-hailing-driver

IronGalaxy:
How old are we here? 12?
You have one of the lowest GDP per capitas in Africa, that says it all
R350 = 29,600 Naira

Ouch! 😂😂😂

That time he said every Nigerian has N5000 in their account. Which is N24000 less than our R350. He just talks anyhow🇳🇬💩

Nice one!🇿🇦🏆

dederocs:
SA men 90% are drunkards and urchins.

Nigerian men are 99% Abegistanians. Remaining 1% is yahoo and money rituals.

IkeOnyia:
Remove the whites from South Africa and they will be in the same category as Congo.

Excuses. When you were calling yourselves the giants of Africa, were there no whites in SA? But when SA beats you it's because of the whites. Very pathetic.