South African TV Presenter Vuyo Mvoko Mugged Live On Camera
Two men mugged SABC TV presenter Vuyo Mvoko in South Africa as he waited to go live on air. It was lights, camera, and action as every moment and feature of their faces was caught live on video.
Crime in the country has recently become increasingly blatant, but yesterday it reached a totally new height.
Mvoko was waiting for the arrival of Zambia’s president Edgar Lungu, who is to have medical tests at the Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa. While the camera was on and running, the broadcast was not yet live on air.
In the captured video footage, two men can be seen hovering behind Mvoko and moving around him. While the light was shining on Mvoko, the robbers appear unconcerned that they might be caught on camera and simply went ahead with their attack.
Mvoko told the SABC that one of the men threatened him with a gun when he refused to hand over his mobile phone, which was in his hand at the time.
“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].”
Mvoko told the BBC that he couldn’t understand how they could walk in front of the camera so blatantly.
“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.”
Mvoko immediately headed to Twitter once the incident was over to let everyone know he was OK and to post the video footage, which has since gone viral.
I’m Safe & sound. Here’s how it all happnd. http://t.co/GjUaByZV6w via @youtube
— vuyo mvoko (@vuyo_mvoko) March 10, 2015
According to South African police, the robbers stole mobile phones and a laptop from Mvoko and his broadcasting team, and they are investigating the incident. They are, however, requesting help from the public in identifying the criminals.
As can be seen from the video above, they should have no problem identifying the suspects, as long as someone recognizes them. Mvoko told the BBC that he hopes they are arrested soon.
Police seek assistance in identifying SABC crew thugs http://t.co/QXmmE74RpB
— SABC News Online (@SABCNewsOnline) March 11, 2015
A statement from the South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) condemns the mugging.
“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.”
Meanwhile eventually Zambia’s President Lungu arrived at the hospital where he will undergo tests, after Zambian doctors found that he requires throat surgery.
In other criminal news from South Africa, the Inquisitr reports that a kindergarten teacher living on a farm was recently attacked and tortured with burning plastic during a robbery.
[Images: Screengrabs from YouTube video]
