We were not responsible for Global Citizen security, says stadium management

Stadium Management SA (SMSA) has reiterated it was not responsible for security and safety at the Global Citizen Festival on Sunday.

This comes after an outcry following a crime spree outside the FNB Stadium in Soweto after the concert.

SMSA CEO Jacques Grobbelaar told TimesLIVE earlier that the police and Global Citizen were in charge of the event because it was high-profile and involved 58 heads of state.

Festival-goers recalled the terrifying experiences that had them fearing for their safety after the concert. Some told of being involved in violent confrontations in and around the Nasrec Sasol garage as they waited for taxis.

Many detailed their stories on Twitter, with some explaining how they were mugged at gunpoint outside the stadium, with no police in sight.

SMSA manages the FNB, Dobsonville and Rand stadiums.

Grobbelaar said in a media statement on Monday afternoon: “Any notion that SMSA was responsible for the safety and security and/or traffic management at the event is simply not true. The Event Safety and Security Planning Committee (ESSPC) Safety and Security Plan approved by the national commissioner of police is testimony to that.”

Grobbelaar earlier lambasted the police, telling TimesLIVE that after the last performance police left the area, which is against standard protocol.

“I was at the venue... police cleared out after the last performance. Usually we would stay for two hours after the event to ensure the safety and security of concert-goers.”

He added: “When we manage an event, we stay for at least two hours afterwards to ensure the safety and security of people. In this case, we were just landlords. The event was controlled by SAPS and Global Citizen.”

The police are responsible for establishing the ESSPC in line with the Safety at Sports and Recreational Events Act 2 of 2010.

The ESSPC is chaired by a police officer with the rank of captain or higher and consists of 12 or more safety and security stakeholders. It also outlines safety, medical and security measures and coordinates traffic and bylaw enforcement.

Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) was responsible for traffic management and deployed 236 metro police officers, 104 patrol vehicles, 18 motorbikes and 11 horses to manage the traffic flow from Sunday 6am to Monday 7am.

Grobbelaar said SMSA was responsible for hospitality, cleaning services, vendor and the management of “existing commercial” sponsors.