Concert-goers have recalled the terrifying experiences that had them fearing for their safety after the Global Citizen festival headlined by Beyonce at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on Sunday.
The police, meanwhile have been accused of failing to stick around after the show, allegedly leaving immediately after the last performance – which they have denied.
Some people told of being involved in violent confrontations in and around the Nasrec Sasol garage after the concert as they waited for taxis.
“My phone was in my bag and my bag was clutched to my chest, my parents were calling so I pulled out my phone, and the next thing I know a man jumped me and pulled my hair and arm and threw me on the ground and dragged me,” Fera Farista said.
She had been walking to the Sasol garage with her sister and cousin at the time after struggling to request an Uber taxi at the stadium’s designated area for Uber requests, which she blamed on a malfunctioning of the taxi app.

Farista’s sister, Hanaan, tried unsuccessfully to fight off the attacker.
The man and his accomplices left after her cousin used her kickboxing skills to fight them off when they tried to take her phone too.
Farista said she had minor injuries to her stomach, foot and hand.
She said there had been no police available to help her or to report the incident to.
After the men ran away, the three women moved into the Sasol garage, where crowds of people were standing and waiting for taxis.
“All of a sudden, we heard screams and [people panicked] and we all started running,” Hanaan said. “We saw people lying on the ground because of the stampede.”
The sisters said parents had been waiting with their children at the Sasol garage.
“Everyone was very stressed and parents were looking very confused.”
Another concert-goer, Imaan Moosa, said she had heard gunshots in the midst of the commotion. This created further panic, with people running between cars.
Moosa, who had also been waiting at the Sasol garage, said Uber taxis were unavailable and the taxi fares had soared at that time of night.
“Two girls had knives pulled on them and gunshots were fired. We had nowhere to go and no-one to run to,” she said.
“The police were directing traffic and only security guards were around the garage – and they did nothing.”
Haanan said about 100 people had eventually gathered around a police car for safety. She said there was only one officer at the car.
“People were waiting in the cold for hours, scared and some crying, and the police officer wanted to leave,” she alleged.
Sinathi Thembela said he and his friends had moved to the garage because they were experiencing network problems and could not book an Uber at the stadium.
Thembela said that at the garage they had passed a group of men who hinted that they wanted to rob the crowd.
“They went straight in, mugging and robbing a whole bunch of people who were standing there,” he said.
“It wasn’t long before we heard screams.”
Four journalists who attended the concert witnessed a violent altercation involving the driver of a car and several passengers of another vehicle.
The incident occurred in the parking lot after a white bakkie allegedly scraped another vehicle while trying to pass in the congested area.
The journalists saw the driver of a white Ranger get out of the vehicle and assault passengers in the car. A woman who was inside the car began screaming after she was hauled out of the vehicle.
The man grabbed one of her shoes and began smashing the car windows with the heel.
Several security guards who were manning the parking area stood and watched, ignoring the pleas of other concert-goers to intervene.
The man whose car was bashed said he had apologised for scratching the other vehicle‚ but had‚ nonetheless‚ been attacked.
“My car‚ it’s smashed. They attacked me. They punched us. For nothing. For nothing.”
There were no police present then. Security guards gathered about 30 minutes after the incident and apprehended the man who allegedly attacked the car.
Stadium management CEO Jacques Grobbelaar said that all security at the event was handled by Global Citizen and the police.
He said he was at the event and also saw the police leaving the venue directly after the last performance.
Grobbelaar said those affected by crime should lay complaints against the police.
“We were‚ in essence‚ the landlords of this event.
“For police to say they were there and followed protocol is a blatant lie,” he said.
The police’s Vish Naidoo, in an interview on SABC, insisted that the officers did stay after the event.
● The Johannesburg Metro Police Department arrested seven people after the crime spree, reports on Monday night said.
Johannesburg public safety MMC Michael Sun said the seven were arrested for robbery, assault and others crimes...