Despite the seeming increase in the number of vagrants and nyaopes wandering around the streets of Laudium, with some having criminal intent and even ‘keeping an eye’ on residents’ movements, the Laudium CPF, the local Police and the Ward Councillor seemingly have no will or plan of action to eradicate the problem.
This follows an increase in petty crime in the area, which residents say is caused by the influx of vagrants coming into the area. More and more residents are not even reporting incidents of petty crime to the local police, as they believe it is a waste of time, stating that the police are not interested in arresting these petty criminals. In one of the latest incidents of petty crime reported to the Laudium Sun, thieves stole an electric meter box outside a home on Agra Street East, in Laudium Ext 2. The theft which took place in the early hours of the previous Saturday, between 12 am and 5 am, has left the owner of the property Mohammed Latib, in a state of shock.
Laudium Ext 2 home in the early hours of the previous Saturday.
Mohammed told the Laudium Sun, “I went to sleep at around midnight on Friday night and our lights were working without any problem. It was a quiet night and there was no unusual noise or sound during the night that broke my sleep. However, when I woke up for the early morning Fajr prayer at around 5am, I was surprised to see that we had no lights. At first, I thought it might just be a power outage, but when I went outside to check if the streetlights were working or if our neighbours had lights, all seemed to be fine. It was only then that I noticed that our house electricity meters were missing. I could not believe that thieves had actually ripped out the meter box and stolen the electricity meters from my outside wall. Crime is becoming unbearable in Laudium and residents are reaching a point where they simply cannot tolerate it any longer. This isn’t the first incident of theft at my home. On a previous occasion, thieves also attempted to steal the electricity meter box from the outside wall. It appears that they specifically targeted my property again and this time they succeeded. I’m not sure who stole the meter box, but I’m convinced it was deliberately targeted. I believe there is a large syndicate operating that is responsible for recruiting some of these nyaopes walking on our streets, to steal these electricity meters. They are obviously taking them somewhere to be sold, which suggests there are buyers involved. This crime has to stop. Residents should not have to live in fear of criminals stealing essential infrastructure from their homes. I hope the police and the relevant Municipal authorities will investigate these thefts seriously, identify those responsible and dismantle any syndicates that may be operating. The people behind these crimes must be held accountable so that other families do not have to experience the same hardship, that my family and I had to endure.”
Omar Dada, also of Agra Street East, told the Laudium Sun, “I was very disappointed and saddened when I heard about the theft of the electricity meter box from Latib’s house. It is extremely worrying to see these petty criminals being used to target essential infrastructure. Incidents like these show that crime is becoming more organised and it is something that should concern every resident in our community. In my opinion, this does not appear to be only the work of perhaps these vagrants walking the streets of Laudium, acting alone. It seems very possible that there is an organised criminal syndicate involved in these thefts because electricity meter boxes are not stolen without a reason. The people responsible are likely stealing them because they know there is a market for the stolen equipment. It is time that the police investigate where these stolen meter boxes are ending up and who are the people buying them illegally. The police must carry out a thorough investigation and follow every possible lead. Those responsible should be identified, arrested and prosecuted according to the law. Crimes involving public infrastructure should never be taken lightly because they affect the entire community, not just one household. When essential infrastructure is stolen, residents are the ones who suffer. Families are left without electricity during these cold winter nights and have to wait for days before services are restored. It also places an unnecessary financial burden on the Municipality, because public funds have to be used to replace stolen equipment instead of improving services for residents. It is time that the police, the CPF and the politicians work with the community and take their concerns seriously in order to fight crime. Residents should remain vigilant, look out for suspicious activity and report anything unusual immediately. If we all work together and share information with law enforcement, it will become more difficult for criminals to operate in our neighbourhoods. My message to the authorities is that this kind of thefts deserves urgent attention. These thefts should not become normal in Laudium. People deserve to feel safe in their homes and should not have to worry about criminals stealing their water or electricity meters.”
