Pretoria – The Identity of the woman seen in a viral video depicting the vicious attack that left an e-hailing driver dead has been revealed in the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court.
Looking rather sheepish, 24-year-old Dikeledi Tears Mphela and her alleged accomplices, 25-year-old Goitsione Machidi, and 30-year-old McClaren Mushwana appeared in court on Monday, 16 February 2026.
Standing in the dock, all three raised their hands in turn when their names were called to confirm their identities and the languages they speak.
Curious court attendees stared at the three accused with puzzled faces, perhaps wondering how people who looked so harmless could have been so vicious as to kill a person.
The e-hailing driver, 23-year-old Isaac Satlat, was robbed and killed while inside his car in Pretoria West on Wednesday, 11 February 2026.
Satlat, a Nigerian, part-time e-hailing driver, was studying mobile engineering and was on course to graduate next month.
Unbeknownst to the attackers, a dash cam recorded that attack and clearly showed the face of the female.
The video of the attack went viral on social media, and by Friday, 13 February 2026, the woman had been arrested.
Her accomplices were also arrested over the weekend.
Today, the three were unmasked in court, where they abandoned their bail application.
The trio faces charges of premeditated murder, carjacking, and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
“It is alleged that on 11 February 2026, the accused ordered e-hailing services using a mobile phone number that was not registered in their name,” said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Regional Spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana.
“When the vehicle arrived, Mphela and an accomplice, who is still at large, got into the vehicle, while the other two accused followed in a separate car.”
Mahanjana said Mphela and her accomplice allegedly forced the deceased to stop the vehicle, strangled him to death, and robbed him of his cellphone and vehicle, which was later recovered.
The matter was postponed to 23 February 2026 for further investigations.
Meanwhile, police have arrested a fourth suspect after he handed himself over in Atteridgeville on Monday, 16 February 2026.
He is expected to appear before the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 17 February 2026.
Like the other three suspects, he is facing charges of murder, robbery, and carjacking.
