Only one crime reported following Global Citizen, say police

While South Africans have expressed outrage after reports that those who attended the Global Citizen festival were targeted after the show by a violent mob who perpetrated a “mass mugging”, the police have only arrested one person, for allegedly stealing a cellphone, eNCA has reported.

According to police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo, this was the only case related to the concert that was reported.

She says the police would encourage the public to open more.

The reporting of only one crime may come as a surprise after people took to Twitter following the concert, reporting robberies, muggings, assaults and sexual harassment. Some have even described a “mass mugging” and reported that there were “screams everywhere”.

One Twitter user said the “thugs were stationed there for hours with no police presence”.

Some of the many tweets complaining of crime can be seen here.

READ MORE: Fans slam chaos, violence and ‘mass mugging’ after Global Citizen

More benign problems such as extreme traffic congestion and a lack of public transport were also reported.

The organisers took to Twitter, expressing sadness at “challenges” faced by people leaving the venue and said they had been “working to support people getting home safely”.

The festival on Sunday saw 90,000 South Africans fill up FNB stadium for a long-awaited concert featuring international acts including pop star Beyonce and her rapper husband Jay Z, singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, Coldplay singer Chris Martin, rock stalwart Eddie Vedder, R&B star Usher, Happy hit-maker Pharrell Williams, and Afrobeat star Femi Kuti.

They played alongside local acts including Cassper Nyovest, Sho Madjozi, Black Coffee, and the Soweto Gospel choir.

Comedian and Daily Show host Trevor Noah was the show’s MC.

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