Zimbabwean Notorious Cellphone Snatcher Arrested
An alleged notorious cellphone snatcher, who was exposed in a viral smash-and-grab video, has been arrested. Johannesburg MMC for Public Safety, Dr Mgcini Tshwaku, confirmed that the suspect was tracked down and apprehended by the JMPD Tactical Response Unit (TRU) in Hillbrow.
“Law enforcement action is underway. Lawlessness will not be tolerated,” said Tshwaku.
Viral TikTok video leads to arrest
The arrest follows the circulation of a trending TikTok video that captured a brazen cellphone snatching incident outside a restaurant in Brooklyn, Tshwane.
In the footage, a woman wearing a white dress is seen walking up a flight of stairs while her friend records her. A man dressed in a black T-shirt, blue jeans, and a cap approaches from behind, snatches her cellphone, and runs off. He is then seen fleeing the scene in a silver Toyota Corolla with Gauteng registration plates.
The video sparked widespread outrage online, with social media users quickly mobilising to identify the suspect.
Social media links suspect to multiple incidents
Mzansi social media users alleged that the suspect is a Zimbabwean national believed to have been living in the Maboneng precinct in Johannesburg. Screenshots of an Instagram account, believed to belong to the suspect, began circulating online, showing him wearing the same outfit seen in the viral video while partying at various nightclubs. According to a picture of his passport obtained online, his name is Nobert Zapambela.
Users further speculated that the suspect was stealing phones, selling them, and using the proceeds to fund a lavish party lifestyle. This came after videos resurfaced showing him clubbing, with some claiming he withdrew money from the stolen phone and spent it at a shisa nyama shortly after the incident.
Older CCTV footage resurfaces
Following the public backlash, an older CCTV clip from 2023 also resurfaced online, allegedly showing the same man snatching a cellphone in Hatfield, Tshwane, suggesting a pattern of criminal behaviour.
Reacting to the developments, X user The Anointed One wrote:
“This guy has been snatching phones for a very long time but this time? He clearly tried the wrong one — what is this sudden overflow of bad luck?”
Another user added:
“This guy does this every year. They keep letting him go. Last year he got a beating but he’s back to his criminal ways.”
Authorities have confirmed that investigations are ongoing, with police working to determine whether the suspect can be linked to additional cellphone snatching cases across Gauteng.
Source – Daily Sun
