South African TV reporter mugged at gunpoint moments before going live on air

One of South Africa's best known TV journalists has been mugged on camera as he waited to go on air. Footage shows two men accosting Vuyo Mvoko, from the national broadcaster SABC, who was outside a Johannesburg hospital to report on the arrival of Zambia's president for medical tests.

Mr Mvoko later said one of the muggers threatened him with a gun when he did not want to give up his mobile phone. The robbers appeared unconcerned by the presence of the camera. Shortly afterwards, Mr Mvoko, who is a contributing editor for the national news channel, said that he was safe and sound.
Police said the robbers took laptops and mobile phones and that officers were investigating in the incident. "Hopefully someone will be able to identify them and get them arrested," Mr Mvoko said. He said it took him a while to realize what was happening as it was less than a minute till he was due to go live. "It was like seconds to air and then the commotion started...

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"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." The thieves told him to hand over his phone, which he said was in his hand. "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]," Mr Mvoko said. At this point he said another member of the team screamed at him to hand over the phone, which he did.