Erasmia residents continue to live in fear, as more and more ‘loiterers,’ seemingly from the nearby illegal squatter camp along the M26, are seen wandering around the streets.
Many Erasmia residents believe that the mushrooming squatter camp has resulted in crime in their area escalating, with fears now that the government schools, police and health facilities will be burdened more, due to the thousands of illegal squatters living in the area.
In one of the recent incidents of crime reported to the Laudium Sun for stats purposes, for the benefit of community, three thieves were spotted in the yard of a Coert Street home. The incident took place last Saturday evening (Nov 1) at around 8pm. Owner of the Erasmia home, Riyaan Britz, was surprised to find three Black African males in his yard, after they jumped over his wall and were about to get away with stealing a car battery from his yard.
Riyaan told the Laudium Sun, “My security guard heard some noises in my yard, he immediately informed me and two of us ran outside to check. That is when I was shocked to find three Black guys there. When they saw us, they then quickly ran and jumped over my wall and disappeared into the night. They tried to steal my car battery which is expensive and costs around R3,500. Luckily, I had already removed the car battery from my car earlier, because I had a feeling that something like this would happen, as many car batteries have been getting stolen in Erasmia, despite having street gates and security around the area. The crime rate here is really high and it seems to be getting worse each day. Even with all the security measures in place, these criminals still find a way to break into people’s homes and steal valuable items. It has become a regular occurrence in our area. One day it’s a car battery, another day it’s a break-in or theft of outdoor equipment. People in Erasmia are living in constant fear, always looking over their shoulders and checking their surroundings before stepping outside. It’s sad because this is supposed to be a peaceful residential area, but the level of crime has made it difficult for anyone to feel safe anymore. I am tired of all this crime, happening again and again. It feels like the authorities are not doing enough to protect the residents. We keep hearing promises about more patrols and better policing, but in reality, nothing much changes. Criminals walk freely, knowing that even if they get caught, there are very few consequences. Many of us have installed cameras and alarm systems and even hired private security guards, yet these incidents still continue. The community is frustrated and losing faith in the system. I have lived in this country all my life, but the way things are going now, it has become too dangerous and stressful. That is why I am planning to move out of this country. I think it’s time for me to say goodbye to South Africa because crime has literally taken over our daily lives. I don’t feel safe anymore and I can’t keep living in fear like this. It’s painful to make this decision, but the situation has left me no choice. Crime is the only reason I’m leaving and I know many other residents feel the same. We all deserve to live in a place where we can sleep peacefully at night without worrying that someone will jump over our walls and try to steal from us, or worse.”
Abdul Kader of Coert Street, told the Laudium Sun, “Crime is too high in this area and to be honest, this place is not livable anymore. Criminals are taking over this area and that’s why people are moving out of Erasmia. The law enforcement is failing us and we don’t have any hope from anyone, including the police or the politicians. As a community, we are all alone when it comes to tackling crime. Every day we hear about new incidents; break-ins, thefts and robberies and nothing is being done about it. While the criminals operate freely, residents are living in constant fear. Many people have installed cameras and alarms. Neighbourhoods have closed of areas with street gates, but even these measures don’t seem to help much. It’s so heartbreaking to see how unsafe our once peaceful neighbourhood has become. We used to have a sense of community and comfort here, but now everyone is just trying to protect themselves and their families. People are scared to even go out at night or leave their belongings outside in the yard, because thieves can strike at anytime. Erasmia is turning into a dangerous place and with this nearby squatter camp mushrooming, it is a big concern. Unless something changes soon, more families will continue leaving. We need real protection, proper policing and strong action from the politicians immediately, before things get completely out of control.”
Firoz Patel, also of Coert Street, told the Laudium Sun, “Life in Erasmia is really hard and we can’t take it anymore with all the ongoing crime. Every single day, there are cases of car thefts, stolen gate motors and many other incidents. Now, there are more and more ‘prowlers’ freely walking our streets and we are living in constant fear, not knowing what will happen next. It feels like the criminals are in control and residents are left helpless. All we want is for these crimes to stop, so that our community can become peaceful and safe again, the way it used to be before all this chaos started.”
Meanwhile the ‘Sector 4 Security Committee’ in Erasmia issued a statement recently to residents stating, “After 9 years of reliable security, Sector 4 is once again being targeted by criminals. Our unity and contributions kept us safe for nearly a decade—but recent shortfalls in funding are putting us all at risk.
Recent Incidents
- Last weekend, a house in Swanepoel Street was broken into and robbed while the residents were away.
- Yesterday, three individuals were seen tampering with gate locks in Saba Gardens. Our guard responded to assist.
- We’ve received complaints about unwanted loiterers in our streets. The guard disperses them, but they return—because there are no walking guards to follow up.
- Criminal gangs are watching us daily. When they see no one at home, they strike. With the festive season approaching and many planning holidays, any of our homes could be next…
The Committee also appealed to residents to pay their monthly subscriptions or face suspension of security patrols in the area and the removal of security guards manning the street gates.”