Yet again, residents of Laudium and Erasmia have been left highly concerned with the increase in crime, particularly in areas which have security gated streets.
Clearly the local CPFs including Laudium and Erasmia, under Shaheen Wahab, have failed the community, by not even carrying out the three primary functions of a CPF, which are; promoting police accountability, fostering cooperation and communication between the community and the SAPS and initiating joint crime prevention efforts. Instead, the local CPFs are seen by many residents merely as ‘glorified car guards,’ who are called to patrol areas where special events are held, such as sporting or ANC events. This, despite residents living in fear in their homes and on the streets, of being attacked by armed thugs.
In one of the latest incidents of armed robberies reported to the Laudium Sun, a representative of Ajmer Butchery was robbed while doing deliveries in a security gated street in Erasmia.
The robbery which took place this past Wednesday morning (Nov 12), at around 9am on Ninette Str, has left many residents in shock and once more questioning the effectiveness of the security guards at the street gates, who are found to be unprofessional and often seen sleeping, even during the day, whilst on duty.
The Laudium Sun contacted Riaz Mohammed Alli of Ajmer Butchery, who confirmed that his brother Asad was the one who was robbed. According to reports, Asad was accosted by four Black males, while driving his silver looking bakkie on Ninette Str, in Erasmia. The armed thugs, pointed a gun at Asad and demanded that he open the back part of the bakkie, from where they then stole all the meat parcels, the cash he had on him and his cellphone.
Mike Jamal, a gardener from Ninette Street, Erasmia, who was at a nearby house outside which the robbery took place, told the Laudium Sun, “I was doing gardening at a house on Ninette Street, when the robbery took place. It was just a normal morning for me. I was busy cutting the grass and cleaning the yard when all of a sudden, I noticed a silver-coloured bakkie stop near the house where I was. A few seconds later, I saw a black looking car stopping by the bakkie and four Black African males jumping out from their car and approaching the bakkie. At first I thought they were customers or maybe people asking for directions, but I soon realised something was wrong, when I saw one of these guys take out a gun and point it directly at the driver. That’s when I understood it was a robbery happening right in front of my eyes. The robbers seemed very confident and aggressive, shouting at the driver and demanding his belongings. From where I stood, I couldn’t hear everything clearly, but I could see that they were taking packets out of the bakkie. Later, I heard that they stole all the meat in the bakkie, the driver’s cellphone and the cash he had on him. I was really afraid, so I stayed behind the wall of the house where I was working. The entire incident happened very quickly, not more than a few minutes. Once they got what they wanted, the four robbers jumped back into their black looking car with a driver waiting for them and drove off at high speed. It was like they knew exactly what they were doing and where to go. After they left, the area was silent for a moment and then people started coming out of their homes and nearby shops to see what had happened. The owner of the bakkie was visibly shaken and traumatised. Shortly after, private security guards and the police arrived at the scene. The crime in this area is becoming really uncontrollable. Every few days we hear about robberies, theft, or break-ins. It’s frightening because we don’t feel safe anymore. Even during the day, when we are working, we have to keep looking over our shoulders. It’s really scary living and working in Erasmia these days.”
Bobby Patel of Ninette Street, told the Laudium Sun, “This robbery has truly traumatised me. It’s frightening to think that such crimes are happening in broad daylight in our neighbourhood. We always thought that being in a gated area would make us safe, but it seems like these criminals have no fear anymore. Everyone in the area is shocked and disturbed because it could have happened to any one of us. December is approaching, so people are busy shopping, working and preparing for the holidays and that’s when criminals take advantage of the situation. It’s really unfair and heart-breaking because people work so hard for their money and in just a few moments, they lose everything to these greedy robbers. Many residents, including myself, are scared to even step out of our homes because we don’t know what could happen next. Law enforcement, the CPF and security companies need to take their tasks more seriously and to increase patrols, especially during the festive season. We don’t feel safe anymore and that’s a very sad reality in a peaceful community like ours. Crime is getting out of control and if something isn’t done soon more people will continue to suffer like this poor man who was robbed in broad daylight.”
Teuns Herbst, also of Ninette Street, told the Laudium Sun, “We really felt so scared when we heard that a robbery took place so close to our homes. We all work hard and try to live peacefully, but it’s frightening when you realise that safety can no longer be taken for granted. These robbers seem to plan their moves carefully and they don’t care whether it’s morning or night. Many residents are now living in constant fear, keeping our gates locked and always looking around when we go out. The crime situation is becoming unbearable and something must be done urgently. The community must be vigilant as the festive season is approaching. Everyone should look out for one another and report any suspicious activity immediately. We can no longer rely only on security patrols. Every resident must play a part in protecting our area. Together, we can help prevent more crimes from happening.”
Attempts to get a comment from Asad of Ajmer Butchery were unsuccessful.
According to Pritesh Bhana of the CPF, the suspects were driving a silver Toyota Corolla.