Ten heads of state and leaders of international organisations will be attending the Mandela 100 Global Citizen Music Festival on Sunday.
Security has been beefed up at the venue, FNB stadium, for the next two days.
Several roads leading into the stadium will be cordoned off.
About 180 countries across six continents will be able to watch one of the biggest music events of the year, in celebration of the centenary years of Albertina Sisulu and Nelson Mandela.
Inter-ministerial committee Jeff Radebe says:”The Global Citizen Festival is an annual festival organised by the global poverty alleviation program and this year it is hosted in South Africa in honour of the centenary year.”
Security is expected to be extremely tight.
SAPS Samson Shitlabane says:”Our security will start from the ports of entry, the airports and the routes and the accommodations as well as the stadium. In terms of the stadium everybody will be very strict if you don’t have a ticket or accreditation you won’t get access in.”
The Global citizen organisers hope to raise R15 Billion rands for poverty alleviation programs.
Co-founder of Global Citizen Simon Moss says:”What we are excited about is not just throwing a concert, which is nice and fun but actually that we are uniting a country behind the legacy of one of the world’s most remarkable global citizens.”
Some of the head line acts include, Beyonce , Ed Sheeren ,D’banj , Cassper Nyovest , Black Coffee and Chris Martin.
Chris Martin says:”Global Citizen is the first thing that I have seen that harnesses the power of the community and encourages those in power to do the things we care about.”
For the sponsors that are involved in the festival, it is the opportunity to unite the nation.
Motsepe Foundation CEO Patrice Motsepe says:”We have always recognised as part of the culture that those who succeed have an obligation to lift up and assist for a better future for those who are marginalised and underprivileged.”
Gates open at eleven in the morning and opening acts start at two in the afternoon.
Festival-goers have been urged to arrive early to avoid traffic.
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