Despite efforts by the local police to seemingly suppress current crime news in the area, being filtered to the community (probably due to their inefficiency in curbing crime), some local residents are still reporting news about crime to the Laudium Sun.
Thus residents are still able to receive information regarding some of the latest incidents of crime, for crime stats purposes, so that they are at least warned of the dangers in the area and can at least try to take extra measures wherever possible, to protect themselves and their properties.
Armed robberies in the area remain a huge concern for locals, with one of the latest reported to the Laudium Sun taking place last Thursday evening (Feb 27). Despite claims by the local police that they are diligently patrolling the Laudium area, yet another armed gang of about four black thugs managed to drive in and out of Laudium, without being spotted by the local police or the many private security patrollers who profess to be protecting the community. The armed gang arrived at local spaza shop, ‘Super Shop,’ on Bengal Street at around 7pm in a Toyota. While one of the thugs, the driver, stayed in the car, it is believed another thug kept watch outside the shop, while two others rushed into the store. Sayedur Rahman, a Bangladeshi national the owner of ‘Super Shop’ told the Laudium Sun, “It was a normal day for us, when all of a sudden, two Black African thugs rushed into my shop in the evening at around 7pm. One of them was wearing a mask and the other was wearing a red jacket. There was a Toyota parked outside my shop, but I could not make out the model. While I could not see exactly how many others were inside the car, I think there may have been two more in the car. One of the criminals then aimed his gun at me and warned me to remain silent or else he would swiftly take my life. I was very frightened. I told them that I did not want any trouble, so I kept my head down and my hands up. These thugs first stole all the cash I had in my till and the little in the draw. Then they stole all my cigarettes, worth about six thousand rand, my cellphone valued at around eight thousand rand, and some groceries and chocolates worth about one thousand rand.
It’s really sad because we work so hard for our money. We left our home country to come here and try to make a living, but it seems we’re not living in peace here—we’re losing everything we have and becoming poorer than before. If this crime continues, we might even have to sell the clothes we’re wearing and become homeless one day. I just hope and pray that the crime in Laudium will stop and that the police will start doing their job as we waited so long for them this time, or this country will end up worse than Zimbabwe, where no one wants to go or do any business.”
the thugs stole all the cash in his till, cigarettes
worth around R6k and his cellphone amongst
others.
Sayed Ahmed, a resident of Bengal Street, told the Laudium Sun, “It was quite scary for me, as I witnessed the incident happening, but the police did not arrive on time. As a neighbour, I closed my doors because I was afraid that I might get killed too. I kept watching from the widow and reported what was happening to Sayedur’s older brother so that he could call the police, but unfortunately, the police never showed up on time. They only came long after the robbers were gone. Crime in Laudium is becoming really bad and I believe it’s time for the defence force army to intervene. The crime rates are soaring, and the police are not able to stop it. Something needs to be done urgently.”
Aziz Ismail, a resident of Bengal Street, told the Laudium Sun, “This is truly heartbreaking, what is happening to our foreign brothers. These people, mainly from Bangladesh and Pakistan, have come from far to build a better life in our country, but they are being attacked by criminals all the time. The thugs are making their lives a living hell. This must stop, otherwise, we as a country will fall, and the term ‘Rainbow Nation’ will become meaningless in South Africa.”