Armed thugs feast with loot after couple hijacked on night of festival of Eid

In spite of there being a significant increase in crime, more particularly serious crime in the Laudium/Erasmia area recently, the community is being kept in the dark as to crime stats and crime particulars, relevant for the safety of residents.

This follows the local police and CPFs refusing to divulge crime stats and details of crime on a weekly or monthly basis to residents, who they are supposedly representing.

In one of the latest incidents of violent crime reported to the Laudium Sun by residents, four armed thugs hijacked a former Laudium resident and his wife as they were waiting for the garage door to open at his parent’s house on Kathmandu Street, in Laudium Ext 3, this past Friday night (March 20) at around 9pm. The four Black males, driving a gold Toyota Corolla, pointed guns at Rashaad Dinath and his wife, after which two of them bundled Rashaad into the back seat of his white Toyota Hilux and drove away in the Hilux, with the Corolla following. The thugs then used the back road leading into Atteridgeville through Itireleng. Rashaad, who has since moved to Nelspruit, had come to Laudium to join his parents for Eid and had just visited family where he dropped off his child in Claudius, before going to his parent’s home on the Friday night. The thugs not only severely beat up Rashaad, but also used his bank card to withdraw cash from an ATM in the Atteridgeville area. A few hours later the thugs freed the pair near the Atteridgeville Cemetery, before stealing their vehicle. With the help of the Atteridgeville SAPS and Netstar tracking service, the vehicle was found between Itireleng and Atteridgeville.

Rashaad told the Laudium Sun: “It was one of the worst days of my life, a day I will never forget. It happened on Eid night at around 9pm. I was going to my parent’s home after visiting a family house. I was driving my white Toyota Hilux with my wife in the car. Everything seemed normal and I was looking forward to getting home and spending the evening with my family. As soon as we reached our house on Kathmandu Street and as I was about to open the garage, four Black thugs driving a gold Toyota Corolla suddenly appeared. They pointed guns at me and my wife. I could not believe what was happening. One of them hit me on the head with his gun and made me sit at the back of my vehicle. I was shocked and scared. Two of the thugs got into the vehicle with us and drove us away from our home. I had no idea where they were taking us and I was terrified for my family’s safety. They drove us to the Atteridgeville Cemetery. The whole journey felt like an eternity. When we arrived, the thugs hit me again and demanded that I give them all the money I had in my bank account. They took my bank card and withdrew R5,000. They also took my iPhone 14 and my wife’s iPhone 14. I felt helpless and completely vulnerable. The fear I felt for my wife and I was overwhelming. After taking the money and our phones, they left us stranded at the cemetery and drove off with my vehicle to an unknown location. After they left, I had to stay calm and think about how to get us to safety. I managed to walk with my wife towards a nearby police station. I lodged a complaint against the thugs who had attacked us and stolen my vehicle. The Atteridgeville police responded quickly and acted professionally. They contacted the car tracking company and worked with them to locate my vehicle. The police even gave us a lift back to Laudium. Shortly after we reached home, I received a call from the tracking company telling me that my vehicle had been found in a bush in Atteridgeville. I was relieved, but the experience left me shaken. This incident was extremely frightening for me and my wife. I cannot describe how helpless and scared I felt at that moment. The crime in Laudium and particularly on Kathmandu Street, has become extremely concerning. I feel that more police officers and local security patrols are needed in the area. Residents need to feel safe and secure in their own homes. Right now, everyone in the community is shocked and worried about the many crimes taking place in the area. I hope that by sharing my experience, residents will understand how serious the crime situation is and how important it is for authorities to take action. No family should have to go through what my family experienced that night. It is something I will never forget and has left a lasting impact on all of us.”

Helper at Rashaad’s parents house on Kathmandu Street, Koos Ledwaba, told the Laudium Sun: “I witnessed the whole hijacking right in front of my eyes. It was one of the most shocking incidents I have ever witnessed. I wanted to do something, but there was nothing I could do because there were four of these criminals who were heavily armed. They were dangerous and I knew confronting them could have made the situation worse for everyone. It was around 9pm when Rashaad and his wife arrived home. They had just reached the driveway and Rashaad was about to park his vehicle into the yard. In what felt like an instant, four thugs in a gold Toyota Corolla appeared. They pointed guns directly at Rashaad and his wife. The speed and aggression of the attack left no time to react. I could see the fear on their faces and it was clear that these thugs meant serious harm. Without hesitation, two of the attackers forced their way into the Hilux with Rashaad and his wife. Then both cars drove away and I immediately notified Rashaad’s parents about the attack. The entire incident happened in such a quick time and was terrifying to watch. I was glad to see Rashaad and his wife back home within a few hours, as I was praying for their safety. I later heard that the Atteridgeville Police helped Rashaad and his wife and that his Hilux was recovered. But even with the vehicle recovered, the experience was extremely traumatic for them. I could see how shaken they were and it was clear that the fear of what had just happened would stay with them for a long time.”

Soogra Abed of Kathmandu Street told the Laudium Sun: “I was shocked and disturbed when I heard about the kidnapping that happened on Kathmandu Street, especially because it occurred on Eid night, a time when everyone should be celebrating with their families. It’s hard to believe that anyone could be so cruel and violent and it really makes one worry about the safety of everyone in the neighborhood. The level of crime in this area has become very serious. It feels like no one is looking out for us. I rarely see police cars patrolling our streets and the local CPF Patrollers are nowhere to be found. It almost feels like those who are tasked to protect us have disappeared, leaving us residents to deal with this fear on our own. Living in this area of Laudium has become too stressful because you never know when one could be attacked and that makes it hard to feel safe even in our own homes. I hope the police and CPF will now listen to the pleas of the community and start taking action by at least being more visible in our area. Regular patrols and stronger security could help us feel safer and prevent serious crimes like this from happening again. Right now, the situation is worrying and it’s upsetting to see us as a community living in so much fear.”