As residents stream back to work, fully charged after celebrating and taking time off from their normal routine, during the festive season, some residents did not have reason to celebrate.
This, as some Laudium residents did not have a quiet and peaceful festive season, as yet again criminals were very active in the area. Seemingly, the local police and CPF Patrollers were also in full celebratory mood, forgetting their responsibility or pledge to protect the community.
This follows a number of incidents of crime that were reported to the Laudium Sun for stats purposes, in order to keep the community informed.
In one of the many incidents of car theft that took place in Laudium during the festive season, thieves stole a silver Toyota Yaris (Reg No: BC77FR GP) in broad daylight outside the home of Shereen Rashid on Agra Street East, Laudium. The theft that took place on a quiet Sunday afternoon at around 2pm, shortly before the new year, has left the owner of the car shocked.
Shereen told the Laudium Sun, “The car that was stolen, belongs to my husband. He parked it outside our house on the Sunday afternoon, as he was to still go out. About an hour later, at around 2pm, my husband was on his way out, but as he went into the front yard, he immediately noticed that his car was no longer where he had parked it. That is when he frantically called out for me and I immediately knew that something was wrong. I quickly went outside to check what was happening. It is then that he told me his car was missing. We looked and checked with our neighbours, even checking the surrounding area, but the car was gone and nowhere to be found. It was the holiday period and the streets were quiet, but despite this, we did not hear any strange noise or even hear the car being started nor notice anyone suspicious outside our house. I am not sure how many thieves were involved in stealing the car, but I am certain it was not just one person. Stealing a car is not an easy task for a single individual, as there have to be others to look out for oncoming cars or pedestrians. This is really upsetting because it takes so much effort and money to buy a car with hard-earned money and within a single moment, it is gone. We immediately reported the theft to the police and opened a case. I hope the police will do their job and locate the vehicle. If anyone has any information about the car, I urge them to contact the police or the Laudium Sun who will then contact us. The crime rate in our area is increasing and it is becoming so difficult to feel safe in our own community. I hope that this new year, the CPF Community Patrollers and the SAPS will be proactive and keep our neighborhood safe. We cannot continue living in fear all the time, with crime happening so regularly. Residents should be able to go about their daily lives without constantly worrying about theft or other criminal activities. I am pleading with everyone in the community to stay vigilant about what is happening in your neighborhood, because we cannot depend on the police to protect us.”
Mohammed Ali of Agra Street East, told the Laudium Sun, “The theft of cars is unfortunately increasing in Laudium and criminals are now making it a hobby of stealing a car every week or sometimes even on a daily basis. They are targeting Laudium because they know our security is weak, as we do not have effective police or CPF patrols in the area. I urge the SAPS and the CPF to take responsibility and do their job with more sincerity, because if they do not, we as residents of Laudium will be doomed.”
Suren Naidoo, also of Agra Street East, told the Laudium Sun that he is extremely concerned about the increasing rate of car theft in the area. “The stealing of cars is happening more and more often and no one feels safe parking their cars anywhere, even in their own yards. The moment someone parks a car outside, it can be gone within minutes. This situation has become very stressful for everyone in the community, because we work so hard to earn money to buy a car and the car can be stolen so quickly. I am also very disappointed with the law enforcement in our area. It seems that the police are not taking enough action to prevent these thefts, resulting in residents living in fear all the time.”