A video of South African TV journalist Vuyo Mvoko (pictured center) of SABC News has gone viral this week, after thieves are seen accosting then robbing the journalist on-camera.
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With three South African cities (Durban, Nelson Mandela Bay, Cape Town) popping up on Business Insider’s “The 50 Most Violent Cities in the World” list for 2014, it is well-known that crime is one of the major setbacks for a nation that is otherwise known as the most-modern country — and one of the top travel destinations — on the continent.
No matter the crime level, though, Mvoko, who stood just outside Milpark Hospital as he waited for Zambian President Edgar Lungu to arrive for throat surgery, never imagined that he would be mugged moments before going live.
Mvoko says, “I couldn’t understand why they’d walk right in front of the camera because the light is on and they could see that — and our car is branded, so they could see that this is a live broadcast.”
Immediately after, the two men — who didn’t care that they were clearly being taped — demanded Mvoko’s phone.
Mvoko explains, “Because I wasn’t giving him the phone, he then called the other one who had a gun, and said, ‘Dubula le nja‘ [Shoot this dog].”
Rather than shooting him, though, another mugger screamed at him for the phone.
Mvoko yielded.
The thieves ended up stealing several cell phones and a laptop.
Watch video of the brazen mugging here:
Soon after, Mvoko sent out the following tweet, telling his followers that he is safe:
I’m Safe & sound. Here’s how it all happnd. http://t.co/GjUaByZV6w via @youtube
— vuyo mvoko (@vuyo_mvoko) March 10, 2015
Watch his network interview him about the incident here:
About Mvuko’s mugging, the South Africa National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) released this statement:
Every South African lives with the reality of crime, but to see thugs brazenly ignoring television cameras and robbing media workers in the course of their work, yet again brings home the level of criminality in our society.
As aforementioned, crime is an issue in South Africa. Just last October, the lawlessness of criminals was put on full display with the senseless killing of beloved South Africa football club Orlando Pirates captain and goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa.
Meyiwa was shot and killed, after thieves broke in to his girlfriend’s house and tried to steal yet another cell phone.
The murder prompted the public to demand that something be done about the high level of crime.
SEE ALSO: SOUTH AFRICA’S FOOTBALL CAPTAIN SHOT DEAD IN HOUSE BREAK-IN
