Despite residents in Laudium living in fear due to the ongoing crime in the area, the Laudium CPF is yet to formulate a working plan with the local police and in consultation with the community, on how best to address the anxiety of the community, concerning crime.
Many residents say that since Shaheen Wahab has taken over as CPF Chair, fighting crime in the area by the CPF seems to have died down and the priority now seems to be to rather promote himself, Cllr Naeem Patel and the ANC, by capturing other community based organisations, even creating fictitious organisations.
This follows yet more crime reports received this week by the Laudium Sun, for stats purposes. Once more residents in Laudium Ext 3 are living in fear, following thefts from their homes, yards and even outside their homes.
In one such incident, an Ahimsa Crescent resident living in home divided into various apartment units was surprised to find that the water meter of the property had been stolen, after hearing water gushing outside the front of her apartment. The theft which was discovered last Tuesday afternoon, at around 4:30pm, has once more left residents living in the area in fear, as they suspect that the thief has been roaming the street with a bag, possibly attempting to break into homes or steal valuable items from properties in the neighbourhood.
Rotendo Chizodza, a resident of Ahimsa Crescent, Laudium, told the Laudium Sun, “I was inside my apartment when I suddenly heard a strange noise outside. At first, I thought maybe it was just the wind or someone walking by, but the sound continued, so I decided to step out and see what was going on. As soon as I got outside, I was shocked to see water gushing from the pavement outside the house and flooding the pavement area, with water running down the street. The water was accumulating all over and it was clear something serious had happened. When I looked toward our water meter, I noticed that the meter was completely gone, removed and nowhere to be found. I was confused and worried because I never expected our meter to be missing like this. Thereafter, as I was still standing outside, some young teenagers living in the area, who were playing outside, came to tell me that they had noticed a Black man walking around earlier and that they believed he was the one who stole the water meter. According to the youngsters, this man is often seen in the area, always carrying a bag and wandering up and down the street. I have also heard recently about a suspicious looking Black male carrying a bag, being suspected of the theft of small items from homes in the area, including stealing water meters. After the teenagers left, I realised that our water meter had intentionally been stolen, leaving water pouring out uncontrollably and causing a huge waste and mess on the street. This incident of theft has made me really worried. Water is a basic need and now all of us living in this apartment block have to struggle without water, while waiting for the meter to be replaced. What frustrates me and others living around here, is that this is not the first crime committed in our area over a few days now. Theft and vandalism seem to be increasing and it feels like these criminals have no fear anymore. They are getting more audacious and destructive every day, stealing essential infrastructure like water meters, leaving households in distress. The crime situation in our area has become terrible and it has to stop. We need stronger security and more police visibility so that residents can feel safe in their own homes. We cannot continue living in fear, wondering whose house will be targeted next, by thieves.”
Ahimsa Crescent resident, Albertus Fourie, told the Laudium Sun, “Crime in this area has increased to a really worrying level and residents are living in constant fear of what might happen next. We have faced many thefts, break-ins and vandalism incidents taking place around us and it is obvious that the community is no longer safe, the way it used to be. One of the challenges we face is that there are several people moving into the surrounding areas without proper monitoring or checks and we don’t always know who is living among us. Some landlords are renting their properties to tenants without verifying backgrounds, or ensuring that the people they are renting to are responsible and trustworthy. Unfortunately, this carelessness leads to situations where those with criminal intentions, can quietly move into our neighbourhoods and continue their questionable activities. As a result the crime rate on our street and the surrounding area keeps rising and we as residents are the ones paying the price. We are tired of feeling unsafe in our own homes and constantly worrying about our families and belongings. Property owners should take responsibility and ensure proper screening, so that the community does not suffer because of poor decisions. We also urgently need better law enforcement and cooperation if we want to protect our neighbourhood and restore peace. The nearby informal settlement is also a concern, as it is expanding in the hill.”
landlords rent their properties without checking
if tenants are trustworthy, leading to situations
where those with criminal intentions quietly
move into neighbourhoods and continue their
questionable activities.
Viven Nayagar of Bengal Street, Laudium, told the Laudium Sun, “We recently had an attempted break-in at our home and I strongly suspect it could be the same man who is often seen walking around with a bag on his back, appearing to look for houses to target. The situation has become extremely worrying, because we no longer feel safe in our homes and in the neighbourhood. Criminals are roaming freely, watching our every move. The police and CPF Patrollers should increase patrols in our area, so that this thief and other thieves, stealing from our homes, are arrested and rot in jail.”
and CPF should increase patrols, so that the
thieves are “arrested and rot in jail.”