Global Citizen: Talk is cheap
Sunday’s star-studded concert ended in trauma for the many mugged with no police in sight
The eagerly awaited Global Citizen Festival started on Sunday in celebration of Nelson Mandela’s centenary. In a packed FNB Stadium the performances were met with cheers as the 70,000 attendees sang along. Cries of "Amandla! Awethu!" reverberated through the stadium in response to the many calls to action for a better world.The event lived up to expectations — tears streamed for Ed Sheeran, pride swelled for Cassper Nyovest and hysteria set in for Beyoncé.The day started before noon for most people, in a line that snaked around the block as the stadium slowly filled. Security was tight at the start, but as the VIPs left and Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s set ended, it fizzled.Global Citizen’s goal was simple, Usher, Tyler Perry and Oprah told the audience: end poverty in our lifetime and take action. "The change starts with you," they urged.But at the end of the night, SA’s stark reality of poor security and violent crime against a backdrop of poverty, inequality and unemployment could not be ...
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