Crime in neighbouring Gerhardsville continues, with many residents complaining of poor policing due to lack of resources.
Residents also say that the increase number of people living illegally in the informal settlements around the area, is of concern and have once more appealed to the Ward Councillor to intervene and get the Council to stop all new settlements in the area. In one of the latest incidents of crime reported to the Laudium Sun for stats purposes, so that others living in the area are informed about crime in their surroundings, a motorbike was stolen from a plot on Pointsettia Ave in Gerhardsville.
The motorbike was stolen shortly after midnight, in the early hours of Tuesday morning, (Dec 10). Patricia Swart (24) whose husband’s motorbike was stolen, explained further to the Laudium Sun concerning the theft. “Criminals broke into our property in the early part of the morning at around 1am, by cutting our fence. My husband Stephan Swart (28), my children and myself were all fast asleep at that time. But then all of a sudden I was awoken by our dogs who were barking furiously. I then woke my husband up to tell him that something was wrong in the yard as the dogs were barking very much which was unusual, but he told me to get back to sleep and not to worry. So I lay in bed and tried to sleep but could not. After a few minutes I heard the sound of my husband’s motor bike being started at the gate. My husband also heard his motorbike being started and immediately fired some shots in the air, but these thieves seemed not to be scared and went away with the bike It looks like these criminals pushed the motorbike from the shed where it was parked until the outside gate and then started it so that by the time we heard the noise they would have already been gone. The motor bike which was stolen, was a Suzuki 250 and is worth R60000. We don’t know how these criminals managed to start the motor bike because we have only one key, which was with my husband. Criminals are terrorising all of in the area and we are all living in fear. We find it strange that although we have an alarm where the motorbike was parked, it did not activate. We don’t know what these criminals did to stop the alarm from ringing.” Patricia added, “This is not the first time we have been subjected to crime. Not long back, criminals also cut our fence to gain entry into our yard. Gerhardsville is not safe, especially during December when many criminals flock to our area to try and steal something from us. We are no longer safe, what if my husband had gone outside after I woke him up when I heard the dogs barking and something had gone horribly wrong. He could have been killed by these criminals, had he gone to into the yard. I am just glad that he didn’t go outside. My husband went to the Erasmia Police Station to open a case of theft. We are urging the police to increase patrols in our area. When night approaches we get worried with all these criminals waiting to attack someone.” Neighbour of the Swarts, Gerda Buchling (43), said crime in Gerhardsville especially in December is rife.
She told the Laudium Sun, “We want to go for holidays but we can’t because criminals would break into our house and steal from us. It’s not safe at all in our area. We love our area because it’s so peaceful, but now we can’t enjoy the peace at all, as a result of the high crime in our area.” William Buchling also of Pointsettia Ave said all he heard was gun shots after the criminals stole his neighbour’s motor bike. William added, “Crime in our area is rife and it is time the Community Police Forum (CPF) and police notify us, as residents, as to what measures they have taken to protect the community in order to fight crime in our area. We also need feedback from the Councillor and the Tshwane Council, as to what measures they have taken to stop the influx of people into the area, who are putting up shacks illegally and living on invaded land.”
Attempts to get hold of Erasmia CPF Chairperson, Pritesh Bhana for comment, were unsuccessful.