Despite the acting Police Minister, Firoz Cachalia, recently attending a private breakfast meeting with ANC members and supporters, supposedly to discuss crime in the area, in essence promoting the ANC, the act is now either way over, with residents once more left alone to face the reality of crime in the area.
One of the ongoing complaints of residents, has for years, been the high crime in the Laudium Ext 2/3 area, with residents calling for frequent police and CPF patrols and strong monitoring of the residents of Itireleng, many of whom are undocumented foreigners protected by local shack lords. However, this complaint was not dealt with by the CPF Exco and ANC Cllr Naeem Patel, who were seemingly more focused on taking photos with the Minister, together with the women in parda.
This follows yet more complaints of crime in the Laudium Extension 2/3 area, this time with thieves breaking into a newly opened business, during the night of last Sunday (August 9), on Women’s Day. The female owner of the newly opened ‘Sphatlo Restaurant’ discovered that her business had been broken into when she opened her shop on Monday morning, finding her front door lock broken and realizing that a number of items had been stolen, including two 9kg gas cylinders.
Amina Motshidisi of Bengal Street, Laudium and the owner of the newly opened Sphatlo Restaurant at the corner of Bengal Street and 36th Avenue, in Laudium Ext 2/3, told the Laudium Sun, “My staff and I discovered the break-in on Monday morning (August 10) when we returned to open our shop at around 9:30am. When we approached the restaurant, we immediately noticed something was wrong because the door locks were lying on the ground. We then saw that the lock of the main door had been broken and it appeared that this was how the thieves gained access to our restaurant. We believe there must have been more than two people involved because the two 9kg gas cylinders that were also stolen are heavy. It would have been difficult for one person to carry both cylinders and other items away, after breaking into the shop. We recently opened the restaurant and this theft is really heartbreaking for us. I did not open this business to become rich; I opened it because I needed to earn an honest living and provide food for mine and my staff’s families. This restaurant is our source of income and we are trying our best to build the business from the ground up. It is very disappointing when criminals come and take the things we have worked so hard to obtain. These criminals need to understand that when they steal from small businesses, they are not only taking an item. They are affecting an entire family. We are ordinary people trying to make a living, and every item inside our restaurant is important to us. When criminals steal our equipment or belongings, it makes it so much harder for us to continue operating and supporting our families. This incident is really bad and crime in Laudium is becoming far too much. We should be able to operate our businesses without constantly worrying about criminals breaking in during the night. It is very discouraging because we are trying to establish ourselves and serve the community. I hope the SAPS, the politicians and local CPF Patrollers can work together to address the crime problem in Laudium. We need stronger visibility and more patrols, especially during the night. Criminals seem to be wide awake and are unafraid to break-in and steal from businesses or homes, while business owners are left worried about whether they will find their shops secure when they arrive in the morning. We want to work, provide for our families and contribute to our community. I hope something is done about the crime before more businesses fall victim to crime.”
Fazlona Hoosen, also of Bengal Street, told the Laudium Sun, “I recently came to this newly opened restaurant to buy sphatlo from them and I found the owner to be friendly and welcoming. I was very disappointed to hear that thieves had broken into the shop and stolen a number of items. It is really heartbreaking because these people have recently opened the restaurant and are trying to make a honest living from the business. They work hard every day to provide for their families and it is unfair that criminals can simply come along and just steal from them. Starting a new business is not easy, especially for ordinary people who are relying on the income to support their families. When I heard that their gas cylinders had also been stolen, I felt so sorry for the owner because those cylinders are important for their daily operations. A restaurant needs gas to prepare food for customers, so losing
the cylinders can have a serious impact on the business. They have only recently opened and instead of concentrating on growing their business and serving customers, they now have to worry about replacing what was stolen. People are investing their money and working hard to provide services to residents and also create opportunities for themselves. There is a need for more visible policing in Laudium and I hope that the police and the CPF get their act together and patrol the streets in the area more regularly, so that criminals think twice before targeting businesses or homes in our area.”
Afiya Mokgoje, a customer of the restaurant and resident of Bengal Street, told the Laudium Sun, “We cannot allow these criminals to steal from whomever they want and whenever they want. Residents and business owners are not feeling safe. The police and the CPF should work with all residents to fight crime in the area. I hope that the
thieves responsible for this theft are identified and face the full might of the law. Most importantly, I hope this incident does not discourage the owner from continuing with her business. She is trying to make an honest living and our community should support her and not allow these criminals to harm businesses offering a service to the community.”