Writer and radio host Redi Tlhabi’s twitter account, @reditlhabi, was hacked on Saturday morning, merely a week after her highly anticipated book about President Jacob Zuma’s rape trial in 2006 was released.
Tlhabi, who is in New York to facilitate a series of United Nations conversations, said she discovered that her account was hacked shortly after 09:00 in New York (15:00 in South Africa).
She last visited the social media site on Friday night at 23:00 in New York (05:00 in South Africa).
“I find it 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,” Tlhabi told News24.
“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 the wrong reasons.”
On Twitter, the account’s profile picture was changed and the account also retweeted an apparent record label called Starboy Recordz (@starboyrecordz).
“Let’s tweet. Twitter tell them to give me a verified [Twitter] account,” the account tweeted on Saturday afternoon.
Thalbi said she has been trying to reset her account since she realised it was hacked.
“I haven’t heard anything from Twitter except the generic emails that want to help me set up a different account.”
She believes the account edited personal information to send password reset emails to a different email address from her own.
“This is so frustrating,” Thalbi said.
Tlhabi’s latest book Khwezi – The Remarkable Story Of Fezekile Ntsukela Kuzwayo made headlines after allegations emerged that state resources were used to ensure the charges against Zuma is dropped.
Kuzwayo accused then presidential hopeful Zuma of raping her.
She died in October last year.
[Source: news24]
