While the local police and the CPF are still refusing to give detailed crime stats to the community, some reports of crime sent by residents for stats purposes, are still being received by the Laudium Sun.
In one of the latest crime reports received, reports have surfaced that a robbery took place the previous Thursday afternoon at around 1:30pm. It is believed that a gang of three Black males robbed a delivery bike rider from Laudium’s Debonairs Pizza on Green Avenue, Laudium. According to reports the armed gang pointed firearms at the rider and threatened to shoot him if he did not surrender his black Nippon 150 motorbike, after which they pushed and shoved him and searched his pockets, stealing amongst others his cellphone and cash, before fleeing the scene, without being noticed by anyone close or CPF patrollers.
Aaron Harlod, the delivery bike rider from Debonairs Pizza on 9th Avenue, Laudium, told the Laudium Sun, “I was doing my job as usual when we received an online order with an address on Green Avenue, Laudium. We prepared the order and I was assigned to deliver the pizza. I went to Green Avenue and when I got to the gate, I called the customer and asked them to come outside to collect the order. While I was waiting there, one Black man came from the other side of the road and I thought he was the person who had placed the order. Suddenly, two more Black guys appeared and before I could even think what was happening, they pointed guns at me. The armed gang demanded that I surrender everything I had. I was terrified and did not resist because I feared for my life. The robbers then searched me and started pushing me around. They took a lot of things from me, including the pizzas and other items in the delivery box, my cellphone, the speed point machine and about R500 in cash. They then rode away with my motorbike. Everything happened very quickly and I felt helpless during the entire incident. I kept thinking that at any moment these thugs would shoot me and that thought made the situation even more scary. My manager and I reported the robbery to the SAPS and they said that they would investigate the matter. I really hope that these thugs will be arrested soon and that we will be able to recover the motorbike and all my belongings that were taken from me. We later learnt that the house address given for me to deliver the pizza order to, was a decoy planned by the gang, as the owner of the house knew nothing about the order. This robbery has affected me deeply because I have never experienced something so frightening in my life before. As a motorbike delivery rider, I now feel very unsafe while doing my job in the Laudium area. I do not know who to trust anymore when I go out to deliver orders. Every delivery now feels risky and I constantly worry that something like this could happen again and that I could be attacked again. This situation is really bad for all delivery riders because we are just trying to earn a living but we are facing serious dangers on a daily basis.”
Sindi Nhahna, the assistant manager of Debonairs Pizza on 9th Avenue, Laudium, told the Laudium Sun, “We opened a case against the robbers who targeted one of our delivery riders while he was on duty. This incident has affected us deeply as a business because our riders go out every day to serve customers and to earn an honest living, but now they are facing serious risks. The robbers are now using new ways to trick us, as they place orders online using someone else’s delivery address. When the rider arrives at the location, they take advantage of the situation and rob the rider. This method is very concerning because it makes it difficult for us to identify genuine customers from criminals. Our riders go to these addresses trusting that they are delivering to a legitimate customer, but instead they find themselves in dangerous situations. This is not only a loss for the business, but also a traumatic experience for the rider involved. No one should have to go through such fear while simply doing their job. We are calling on the police to take this matter seriously and to investigate thoroughly so that those responsible can be arrested. These incidents need to be stopped because they are putting lives at risk. We are hardworking people who are trying to provide ourselves and our families and offering a service to the community. We want to live a peaceful life, not a violent one. There is a growing sense of fear among our staff, especially the delivery riders, because they do not know what to expect when they go out on deliveries. This situation is not acceptable and we hope that the police will do something urgently to ensure the safety of our workers and the community at large.”
Nitish Reddy of Green Avenue, told the Laudium Sun, “I only heard afterwards about the robbery incident where a delivery rider from Debonairs Pizza was attacked by a gang of armed thugs. This is completely unacceptable because these delivery riders work hard every day, to earn a decent living and instead of feeling safe, they are being targeted by criminals. This situation is really bad and shows once more, that crime in the area is spiralling out of control. We cannot continue living like this where criminals feel free to operate without fear, while we as residents live in fear. It also affects the business in our area, as workers may become too afraid to continue their duties. The police must wake up and take strong action because the community cannot allow criminals to destroy our neighbourhood. We need more visible policing, regular patrols, and proper investigations to ensure that those responsible are caught and brought to justice. If no action is taken, these criminals will continue to target innocent people and the situation will only get worse. The police, the CPF and the politicians must step in and step up to ensure that crime in the area is reduced and that our community is protected. Enough is enough! Something needs to be done urgently before more people fall victim to criminals.”
