- Noxolo Ntusi was attacked as she walked down a quiet street in Johannesburg
- She said she hung on to her bag because it contained her almost-finished thesis
- The attackers gave up, fled the scene and were allegedly arrested
- Ms Ntusi, 26, has advised others not to follow her ‘dangerous’ example
Dramatic footage has emerged showing a student refusing to give armed robbers her handbag as they put a gun to her head.
Noxolo Ntusi, 26, was walking down a quiet street in Johannesburg, South Africa, when her attackers jumped out of a car and ran towards her.
They demanded she give them her handbag and chased her down the road.
The attackers , one holding a gun, jump out of a car and run towards Noxolo Ntusi
The victim dropped to the floor before curling up into a ball and holding on to her handbag
But Ms Ntusi refused to comply and hung on to her possessions with all her might.
‘There’s no way I will let them take it,’ she told the BBC.
The student’s bag contained her masters thesis in molecular zoology on a hard drive and losing it would have meant she would have to have asked for an extension until next year.
She added: ‘I was thinking about my masters. I’m almost done with what I’m writing.’
CCTV footage from the robbery, which took place on Tuesday, shows Ms Ntusi dropping to the ground and curling up into a ball as her attackers try to wrench her bag from her.
At one point, the gunman holds his weapon to her head and stands on her – yet she still refuses to let go.
The attacker tries to wrench the bag from Ms Ntusi’s grip while pointing a gun at her head
The robbers gave up and fled in their vehicle before Ms Ntusi ran off in the opposite direction
The attackers fled the scene in their vehicle after another motorist drove past.
The alleged robbers were later arrested and found to be in possession of a gas gun.
Ms Ntusi said her actions were very dangerous and advised others not to follow her example and give attackers what they ask for.
‘You can always write again if you are worried about your work,’ she said.