As more and more security gates are erected on Laudium and Erasmia streets, some criminals seem to have moved in the neighbouring areas, with Gerhardsville, which also falls in Ward 61, seeing an increase in crime lately.

This follows a robbery which took place last Wednesday (October 16), at around midday when a young female pedestrian was attacked by a gang of armed thugs travelling in a white Polo. The woman, from 2nd Avenue in Gerhardsville (near Erasmia) was clearly traumatised as she detailed her encounter to the Laudium Sun. 22 year old Shycynthia Machaya explained, “At about noon during the day, I went to the Zenex Garage to meet my dad, who is a truck driver to give him some clothes and to fetch money from him for my mother to buy groceries. After I met my father and while on my way home, I noticed two cars on Mimosa Avenue. The first car, just passed me and then another car, a white Polo VW, drove very near towards me, which made me panic. I then got scared when the Polo with three black males inside drove a little in front of me and then cut me off. One of the guys from the Polo then jumped out and rushed towards me, with a gun in his hand. I immediately tried to run away, but the guy ran towards me and pointed the gun to my head and warned me not to move or else he would shoot me. I was really scared and tried to run away again, but the guy grabbed me and pushed me on the ground. He started to beat me up and then stole my cellphone, a Nokia C10 which was bought for R3200. The armed thug also stole my handbag which contained R2000 cash and other items. The cash was given to me by my father to give to my mother for her to buy groceries for the house,” Shycynthia said. She added that this was the first time she was robbed which left her severely traumatised and scared to even walk around in the neighbourhood, saying, “Gerhardsville used to be a peaceful place to live in, but now criminals are turning the place into a gangsters paradise. They are ruining this beautiful place and we are all now living in fear in Gerhardsville. My father spent a fortune to buy me that cellphone and I have been using this cellphone for two years. These criminals are heartless and cruel, now they have even robbed me of the money which I was going to give to my mother to buy us food for the whole month. How are we going to survive? We as residents in the area, are calling on the Erasmia Police to increase patrols in our area as we hardly see the police and crime is now out of control. I didn’t open a case because my money and cellphone are gone and I do not think that the police will do anything to catch these criminals. This is not the first time that someone in our area was robbed by the heartless criminals,” Shycynthia concluded.

*22 year old Shycynthia Machaya was robbed in this area, by thugs in a white Polo, while walking on Mimosa Ave, Gerhardsville.*

Another resident, who did not want to be named, confirmed to the Laudium Sun that this was not the first time that someone in the area was robbed, adding, “These criminals are always patrolling the area, targeting residents who are walking alone on our streets. This month they also robbed a woman who was hiking in our area, stealing her cellphone.”

Melody Kamudzandu, the mother of Shycynthia, told the Laudium Sun, “I have four kids. Now I do not know what I am going to do because these criminals took the money which was supposed to buy food for them. My husband is now blaming himself as to why he didn’t drop off the money at our home instead of calling my daughter to meet him at the garage. I am now relying on God and praying that we come up with a solution during our time of tribulation.”

*Shycynthia Machaya of Gerhardsville was robbed by armed thigs travelling in a white Polo.*
*Melody Kamudzandu, the mother of Shycynthia, asked how she would manage to buy groceries for her children after her R2000 grocery money was stolen.*