Two muggers confirmed on Wednesday that South Africa is one of the most violent nations in the world as they held up a local TV reporter while the broadcast journalist was live on air.

Vuyo Mvoko, who was doing a stand-upper while waiting for the arrival of Zambian President Edger Lungu who was going to undergo medical tests at a Johannesburg hospital, was held up, Reuters reports.

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Lungu became sick over the weekend over suspected narrowing of the food pipe.

The video showed the men pacing around Mvoko of national broadcaster SABC as he spoke to the camera. A fight follows after which the reporter shouts, "Hey, we're being mugged."

That moment of on-air mugging became viral on social media sites after Mvoko posted the footage.

BBC reports that the two muggers appear not concerned that a camera was recording their faces and moves.

Mvoko then explains that the first man was looking for his mobile phone and when he refuses to hand it over, the man called his companion, who has a gun and threatened to shoot him. The TV reporter gave his cellphone to the two muggers.

Mvoko told BBC that he hopes someone would be able to identify the two men which would lead to their arrest.

The incident was a double embarrassment for the South African government, which condemned what happened, since the victim was a state worker who was held up before a live audience broadcast live to millions of South Africans.

The SA National Editors Forum, which condemned the incident, said in a statement, "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."

In response, Police spokeswoman Col. Noxolo Kweza said the government would maintain its attempt to lower crime rate and ensure all citizens are safe.

Mvoko's live mugging adds to the growing high-profile crimes in South Africa, which includes the Monday stabbing of popular South African hip hop artist Nkululeko Habedi by his girlfriend.

In 2014, national football team captain Senzo Meyiwa was shot, leading to the launch of a gun control campaign in South African. In 2013, Paralympian Oscar Pistorius shoot to death his girlfriend model Reeva Steenkamp. 

TagsSouth Africa, crime, tv reporter, Vuyo Mvoko