Social media influencer Tebogo Thobejane has publicly declared that she has turned down an offer from the state to enter its witness protection programme. The actress, who survived a harrowing shooting in Sandton in 2022, stated that her refusal stems from a profound distrust in the very system meant to safeguard her.
Thobejane expressed her grave concern that the individuals allegedly responsible for the attempt on her life have deep connections within law enforcement. She fears that accepting protection would place her in direct danger. She remarked,
“My concerns, which I raised with the police, were about how you guarantee my safety because the very same people who want to kill me are working with the police. I could be walking right into the trap and get killed.”
The actress and her friend were shot after an evening out at the upmarket Signature nightclub, an event that led to the arrest of her former boyfriend, businessman Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala, and his co-accused. They face charges including attempted murder and money laundering. Thobejane believes Matlala and his associates are part of a wider criminal cartel operating in Gauteng.
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“You Are Not Allowed To Post!” – Tebogo Thobejane On Witness Protection
Beyond the fear of police collusion, Thobejane highlighted the programme’s stringent conditions as being completely unworkable for her profession and livelihood. One of the most significant deal-breakers was the total ban on social media activity. For a content creator whose career and income are built online, this was an insurmountable obstacle.
“You are not allowed to post! I’m an influencer and content creator. I make a living off social media,” Thobejane explained. “I have a bond and other bills to pay. How am I supposed to make a living, because my acting career has been destroyed?”
This clause of the protection programme presented an impossible choice between physical safety and financial survival.
From National Confinement to a Foundation for Justice
Another major point of contention for Thobejane was the restriction on international travel, which would confine her within South Africa’s borders. This limitation, combined with her other fears, ultimately led to her decision to leave the country entirely. She stated,
“You are expected to live within the confines of South African borders. I couldn’t take that chance; that is why I left the country.”
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The actress also used the opportunity to voice her frustration with the state’s financial priorities. She lamented the massive expenditure of over R140-million (US$7.4-million) on a commission of inquiry into policing, while her friend, who was left wheelchair-bound with a spinal cord injury from the shooting, has received no financial assistance.
“There is no single cent spent on the medical bills of the poor woman who sustained injuries to her spinal cord as a result of being shot. Her parents and I are paying her medical bills because we want her to get her life back,” Thobejane revealed.
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The post Tebogo Thobejane On Why Witness Protection Was Not An Option appeared first on iHarare News.
