An SABC TV crew was mugged tonight while filming outside Johannesburg’s Millpark hospital.
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Contributing editor Vuyo Mvoko and several other SABC crew members were filming outside the hospital, where Zambian president Edgar Lungu is currently receiving treatment after collapsing at a Women’s Day event.
During a live crossing, the crew was approached by three or four armed men demanding their cellphones laptops and broadcast equipment.
The SABC staffers handed over their cellphones at gunpoint before their assailants fled the scene. It seems the attackers weren’t aware that the camera was recording at the time and that their faces would soon be broadcast across South African TV and the internet.
Following the attack, some members of the SABC crew went to go call the police, who helped them pack up the crime scene.
Among those on the scene was SABC TV journalist Chriselda Lewis, whose tweets around the incident give you a glimpse of how harrowing the experience was:
An SABC News crew has been robbed at gunpoint near Milpark Hospital where Zambian President Edgar Lungu arrived a few mins earlier #sabcnews
— Chriselda Lewis (@Chriseldalewis) March 10, 2015
SABC News crew was outside the hospital reporting on arrival of Lungu in SA for medical care when a group of men accosted them #SABCNEWS
— Chriselda Lewis (@Chriseldalewis) March 10, 2015
Approximately three to four armed men then demanded from the SABC news team cellphones, laptops & broadcast equipment #SABCNEWS
— Chriselda Lewis (@Chriseldalewis) March 10, 2015
SABC contributing editor @vuyo_mvoko, foreign editor @Sophie_Mokoena, two cameramen, and myself handed over cellphones at gunpoint #sabcnews
— Chriselda Lewis (@Chriseldalewis) March 10, 2015
The armed men kept shouting 'Shoot them' as all of us froze and just handed over our possessions #SABCNEWS
— Chriselda Lewis (@Chriseldalewis) March 10, 2015
The men cocked their guns and continued to shout 'shoot them'. One of my colleagues shouted 'No' and whole team was searched. #SABCNEWS
— Chriselda Lewis (@Chriseldalewis) March 10, 2015
The SABC has captured the robbery of its news team at gunpoint – on camera. Please see if you know these men. #SABCNEWS
— Chriselda Lewis (@Chriseldalewis) March 10, 2015
The men fled on foot, part of SABC news crew rushed to find police. They followed them to crime scene and helped them pack up. #SABCNEWS
— Chriselda Lewis (@Chriseldalewis) March 10, 2015
A search is currently underway for the attackers, with the appeals being made to the public to come forward with any information they might have about the robbers who appear in the video.
