A terrifying Twitter thread about an ordeal after the Global Citizen concert has started an important conversation in South Africa!
Imaan Moosa, a South African who attended the Global Citizen concert, shared a horrifying experience on Twitter that has started an important conversation about the current state of the nation.
After the concert, Moosa and hundreds of other South Africans became prey to group of thugs who used knives, tazers and guns to take all their belonging and leave the concert-goers traumatised.
Read the full thread below.
Tonight was both the best and worst night of my life. The best because I got to see Beyoncé and Jay Z live (& Ed Sheeran). The worst because this happened:
— إِيمَان (@imaan_moosa) December 3, 2018
Tonight was both the best and worst night of my life. The best because I got to see Beyoncé and Jay Z live (& Ed Sheeran). The worst because this happened:
“After the concert, a LOT of people needed to Ubers to get home. There were too many people and too little Ubers so whenever you called one, it kept indicating that all services were unavailable. Instead of waiting for an Uber, my friend’s brother said he’d fetch us. The roads were chaos, so we had to wait. We decided it would be safe for us to wait at the Sasol garage. It was filled with people crammed against the doors of the store that were locked and guarded by a security guard.
We walked a little further down to get a signal, still in the garage but where the picnic benches were. A man ran up to my friend and stole her phone. It happened within a second. We hurried back to where the crowd was. 2 minutes later, a girl screamed – her phone was stolen and the thief had run off. A short while after that, a girl came past clutching herself. She was mugged and a knife was pulled on her. The security and police were around but did nothing. We didn’t know what to do.
We couldn’t go anywhere because men were stealing and harassing people all around us. We were corralled in. We decided to stay amongst the obviously scared and startled crowd. Strength in numbers. Then a gun shot went off and people started running.
I’ve never been so scared.
While people were running trying to SAVE themselves, men were coming in close and trying to STILL steal a bag or phone. No one and no where was safe. We luckily found a group of guys my friends had met inside the concert. They let us stand with them and made a circle around us so that we’d be safe.
More gunshots went off. Someone started tasering people. The police did NOTHING. No one could leave because the cars were backlogged and Ubers were unavailable.
Two girls who ran up to our group asked the guys if they could stay with us. They’d just jumped out of a MOVING vehicle. A police officer offered to escort them to the garage in his police car. One of the girls had a bad gut feeling and asked to be let out. The police officer refused and locked the doors. They’d already passed the Sasol garage. She said she needed to throw up but he told her to throw up in the car and didn’t open the door. She pleaded with him that she was sick. He opened the doors. They escaped
I am disgusted, terrified and shaken from what happened.
I’m sharing this because I don’t think it will make headlines. Ironically, the concert was about ending poverty and seeking JUSTICE.
There was nothing just about tonight.”
The stark reality of South Africa is that we live in a country plagued by poverty and crime. The country has a notably high rate of violent crimes compared to other countries, mostly due to the high levels of inequality, poverty, unemployment, social exclusion and marginalisation.
This means that even when a concert like the “Global Citizen Festival” is held in South Africa to raise hope and a commitment of more than $7 billion to making the world a better place… the people outside of the performance are still plagued by poverty and crime.
But Global Citizen is a movement for engaged citizens who are using their collective voice to make a difference and as harrowing as this story is, it has started a crucial conversation that we all need to be having. It is creating Global Citizens using their social media voices to make a difference!
South Africans have been leading this discussion online asking the government what they will be doing to change the status quo.
Follow the conversation below:
This thread is absolutely terrifying.
Leaving a concert that was all about peace, love & ending poverty only to be surrounded by thieves, praying for your life as gunshots go off around you.
I am in tears for South Africa today.#GlobalCitizenFestivalSA #GlobalCitizen https://t.co/UxGjRq8z9g
— Brent Lindeque (@BrentLindeque) December 3, 2018
@JoburgMPD where were you last night AFTER the #GlobalCitizenFestivalSA when people were being mugged & harassed by thugs?? You were everywhere BEFORE the show to ensure no one without access got in – but AFTER?? #Sasol
— Leanne Manas (@LeanneManas) December 3, 2018
SAPS Spokesperson says there was only one incident that happened after the #GlobalCitizen last night.
Interested to see the actual numbers. Were you affected by crime at the event yesterday?
Retweet for awareness.
— Brent Lindeque (@BrentLindeque) December 3, 2018
So sad + disappointed to hear about the terrible incidents of crime at the #Sasol garage post #GlobalCitezenFestivalSA. A stark reminder that we are unable to change the world if we are not safe in our own streets. @SAPoliceService @CyrilRamaphosa are you listening? # SHOUTSA 🇿🇦
— Danny K (@dannykmusic) December 3, 2018
#GlobalCitizenFestivalSA#GlobalCitizen
To everyone who was at Sasol and had to go through that awful experience after the concert, uxolo!
Once again, this is a reminder of reality for many & unfortunately law enforcement was toothless.
— Tumi Sole (@tumisole) December 3, 2018
A number of robberies apparently took place outside FNB Stadium at the #GlobalCitizenFestival – Clearly, not enough security was in place. @News24 @eNCA @IOL
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) December 3, 2018
We are yet to hear Nothing coming from organisers? This is an oversight on their part. This should have been a Huge part of planning. SAPS were all over, all day, then what happened? Nnot a single policeman anywhere near Sasol & horrifying violence & attacks #GlobalCitizen #Sasol https://t.co/2BPvvaFvQH
— CATHERINE Constantinides (@ChangeAgentSA) December 3, 2018
The saddest thing is how #GlobalCitezenFestival advocated for Gender Equality and Safety for all women and yet women were the biggest victim of last night's trauma at #Sasol. #GlobaCitizenFestivalSA #GlobalCitizen how are you going to help those who were affected?
— South African YouTuber | Michael Cost (@MickyCost) December 3, 2018
That while Ubers are all canceling we were scared to even take out our phones because they would be taken. Ended up huddling around a cop car after walking forever to find one. Everyone huddled around that car. Imagine huddling around a car for safety? #Sasol
— Zweli Mbhele 🇿🇦 (@TheZweli) December 3, 2018
I’m so sorry for all those who experienced the horrific events after the #globalcitizensfestival last night! Shocked after reading some of the traumatic accounts… Where were the #SAPS #sasol
— Lalla Hirayama (@Lalla_Hirayama) December 3, 2018