#RediTlhabi goes off Twitter after being hacked

News24 reported on Saturday that Tlhabi discovered her account was hacked shortly after 3pm local time. The writer of Khwezi – The Remarkable Story of Fezekile Ntsuleka Kuzqwayo is currently in New York.

Tlhabi told News24 on Saturday she found the hacking “highly disturbing that something like this would happen in a week where I have received reports that people are trying to use my book to influence the ANC’s elective conference”.

She continued: “I find it very strange. I am anxious about it [the book]. I didn’t anticipate that it would be getting a lot of attention for all the wrong reasons.”

James de Villiers, who wrote the article reporting the hacking, was blocked by the hacked account:

I was blocked by the hacked @reditlhabi account after I tweeted it for comment 😆😆😆 #Reditlhabi https://t.co/SDWytchdB7

— James ‘the Actioner’ de Villiers (@pejames) September 23, 2017

Legal journalist Karyn Maughan was also in the hacker’s firing line. She shared screenshots of their direct messages:

#RediTlhabi's account has been hacked and whoever is responsible is now messaging people she knows. Please RT. Block and report her account pic.twitter.com/QXpWhyCEli

— Karyn Maughan (@karynmaughan) September 23, 2017

Tumi Sole tweeted he almost fell for it, also sharing screenshots of the direct messages the hacker has sent his way.

Almost fell for it. pic.twitter.com/k1fZAmYQ0e

— Tumi Sole (@tumisole) September 23, 2017

South African Twitter quickly came to her rescue and asked Twitter to intervene:

Please be aware – @RediTlhabi's account has been hacked and tweets are not her own. Hacker also trying to get into other accounts.

— Mandy Wiener (@MandyWiener) September 23, 2017

#URGENT @verified @Twitter @TwitterSupport My colleague’s account @RediTlhabi has been hacked by @starboy__team & all tweets deleted. #HELP

— Aki Anastasiou (@AkiAnastasiou) September 23, 2017

Thlabi’s book tells the story of sexual abuse that has plagued women and children from the “struggle years” up until today. In 2006, President Jacob Zuma was on trial for the rape of the late Fezekile Ntsuleka Kuzwayo, better known as Khwezi, and he was acquitted of all charges.

Jonathan Ball Books, who published the book, states: “In sensitive and considered prose, journalist Redi Tlhabi breathes life into a woman for so long forced to live in the shadows. In giving agency back to Khwezi, Tlhabi is able to focus a broader lens on the sexual abuse that abounded during the ‘struggle’ years, abuse which continues to plague women and children in South Africa today.”

Redi Tlhabi told Maughan she was no longer on Twitter, and that she would post a video when her account is restored.

#CountryDuty
Have spoken to #RediTlhabi. She is not on Twitter. She will post a video when her account is restored. Until then, all fake

— Karyn Maughan (@karynmaughan) September 25, 2017