“I Feel So Violated”: Woman Breaks Silence on Alleged Viral Thief Who Snatched Her Phone

• Zanele Lipalesa, the woman whose phone was snatched out of her hand in a viral video, broke her silence
• She recounted the unfortunate incident, called out security officials, and thanked the restaurant staff who helped her
• The woman shared what kind of phone she had, and how CCTV and phone footage clearly revealed the man's face

After a video of a man allegedly stealing a woman's iPhone 17 at Waterfall Walk's retail centre in Johannesburg went viral, the woman, Zanele Lipalesa, appeared on TikTok to recount her version of how the incident unfolded.

Zanele was with another woman who filmed the incident, stating that it occurred on 20 December 2025. The pair wanted to go to Tiger's Milk but were informed that the kitchen was closed, which prompted Zanele to search for another restaurant establishment with a closing time of 10pm.

She noted that the alleged phone snatcher, a suspect named Nobert Zapambela, came from inside the restaurant, grabbed the phone from her hand, and fled the scene. She received assistance from Tiger's Milk staff members, who attempted to close the shopping complex's gates, but unfortunately, they were too late.

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Zanele then shared that she opened a case at the police station and reviewed CCTV footage from the restaurant. She added:

"That footage was so clear, I could see everything, down to my blush. You could literally see this guy's outfit. The only thing was that he moved so fast, you couldn't capture his face the way it was captured [in the cellphone footage].

"Within an hour, my phone was in Maboneng; erased, wiped."

The young woman also called out the mall's security, claiming that they were not much help when the alleged theft took place. She also gave props to Tiger's Milk's staff and manager, who provided much assistance.

Summarising the incident in her caption, Zanele wrote:

"I feel so violated. I was even willing to buy back the phone. I am glad that he is getting the attention he deserves."

Watch the TikTok video posted on Zanele's account below:

3 Other stories about the viral phone snatcher

• In another article, Briefly News reported that the suspect was arrested after he was found hiding in a flat in Hillbrow.
• Outspoken media personality Sol Phenduka shared his opinion about the alleged phone snatcher after seeing a video of him allegedly splurging at a club.
• Nobert's alleged ex-girlfriend accused him of using a fraudulent South African ID and only found out two months after breaking up with him that he was Zimbabwean.

Source: Briefly News