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JOHANNESBURG – Muggers robbed at gunpoint a South African journalists’ crew as they prepared to go live on air, raising safety concerns for media workers, with police Wednesday vowing to arrest the culprits.On Tuesday evening, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) crew were reporting outside a Johannesburg hospital when they were accosted by muggers who robbed them of mobile phones, laptops and other equipment.
The incident that occurred in a badly lit street was caught on camera, and later aired on television.
Senior journalist Vuyo Mvoko was reporting outside Milpark Hospital, where Zambian President Edgar Lungu was receiving treatment.
Two men crept up on him and went for Mvoko’s mobile phone.
“Give me phone, give me sir,” one of them can be heard saying as the camera continues rolling.
“We’re being mugged!” Mvoko said as he walked away from the camera, moments before going live.
The two men in the video are easily identifiable, and they appear oblivious to the camera lights shining on their faces.
The footage has gone viral on social media, drawing outrage in a country with one of the world’s highest crime rates. Violent muggings are common in Johannesburg, the country’s economic hub.
Police said they were investigating, but no arrests have yet been made.
The video posted on YouTube has been viewed over half a million times. – AFP
Online Reporter