Seven nabbed in connection with Global Citizen robberies
Seven suspects have been arrested by the Johannesburg Metro Police for a spate of robberies following the Global Citizen Festival at FNB Stadium on Sunday.
The city’s MMC for Public Safety Michael Sun confirmed the arrests at a press conference on Monday.
“I have received confirmation that JMPD had arrested seven suspects at the Global Citizen Festival for amongst others, common robbery and assault of a police officer,” Sun told the media.
Hundreds of South Africans who attended the concert reported muggings and attacks at a nearby Sasol petrol station, amid transport chaos after the conclusion of the concert.
Sun said the city is assisting the police in its probe.
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“We will be working closely with SAPS to assist with the investigation and we also need to understand the cause of the problem, so we can avoid this kind of incidences from reoccurring in future.”
Sun said the city’s events safety and security planning had established a “safe zone” where concert goers could be picked by ubers or taxifys, but suspect operators may have requested some of their passengers to walk to the filling station – which was outside the safe zone.
Meanwhile, Gauteng Premier David Makhura wants a full report on the incidents following the concert.
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“Premier Makhura is disturbed by the criminality that took place at the global citizen festival, the Premier wants a full report to deal with crime decisively and it’s clear from our side that post the festival police visibility was absent,” says Makhura’s spokesperson Castro Ngobese.
Stadium Management South Africa, who runs the FNB Stadium, believes the incidents of criminality were due to the lack of police visibility around the precinct.
Stadium Management’s Jacques Grobbelaar says there were not enough police or JMPD officers at the festival.
”The police and JMPD were non-exist in the precinct directly after the show. The blame can only be put on the South African police service and the event security, safety committee they have established.”