SA: Chaos at Global Citizen Fest as fans get mugged, robbed

According to South African media and numerous social media reports, the event was marred by the presence of juvenile gangs who stabbed and robbed concertgoers of their cellphones and handbags.

Many of the incidents took place at a nearby petrol station after the successfully concluded concert where superstars such as Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Wizkid, D’banj, Usher, Sho Madjoz, Tiwa Savage, Cassper Nyovest, Eddie Vedder and Ed Sheeran performed to tens of thousands of fans.

The spate of attacks on concertgoers consumed news bulletins and talk radio discussions on Monday, with commentators pointing fingers at South Africa's ineffective police services, which are also blamed for failing to deal with the country's high murder and armed robbery rates.

Crime in South Africa makes a regular appearance at mass gathering such as concerts, festivals, football games and street parties. In August, one of South Africa's best-known festivals, Oppikoppi, was reported to have experienced high levels of crime, with revellers pickpocketed and robbed of their camping gear.

"There was no SAPS [South African Police Service] present,” Miss Earth SA director Catherine Constantinides tweeted after Sunday's Global Citizen Fest. “Nothing. The screaming of girls and people everywhere still rings in my head. People running away holding bricks because they feared for their safety. They knifed people, burning people. It was horrifying."

Music publicists and JT Communication Solutions managing director Vanessa Perumal told News 24 of the pandemonium that had ensued after the concert.

"I can’t tell you how shocking it was. We were walking with thousands of people past the buses towards the Sasol garage to get an Uber. Then we heard people screaming. It was the weirdest thing possible. Youngsters, boys, were running towards us and stealing phones and pulling bags off people. It was chaos, it was so unreal. How was this even possible?" Perumal said.

Singer Danny K challenged South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to ameliorate crime levels in the country. “So sad and disappointed to hear about the terrible incidents of crime at the Sasol garage post Global Citizen Festival. A stark reminder that we are unable to change the world if we are not safe in our own streets. Cyril Ramaphosa, are you listening?”

Global Citizen Festival said on Twitter: "The safety of our guests is always of paramount importance to us and we understand and empathise with their hurt and anger. In the spirit of the global citizen movement, we believe in holding power to account and therefore we urge the South African Police Services to act swiftly and efficiently.”

In another post, the organisers said: “SAPS has issued a statement requesting all victims of wrongdoing file a police report, which we strongly encourage.”

The SAPS said one man had been arrested in connection with the muggings and that only one case had been opened. But numerous callers voicing their opinions on talk radio station 702 said most South Africans has lost trust in the police and would often not bother reporting serious crimes at police stations due to gross negligence.

EWN reporter Lebogang Moeketsi said there were no police in sight when concertgoers exited FNB Stadium about midnight. "In a nutshell, all systems around us completely failed us. I'm talking about traffic control, crowd management, safety and security. It was just a logistical nightmare."