While residents in the Laudium area continue having sleepless nights due to the ongoing crime in the area, the local CPF and police continue to remain silent on assuring the community that extra measures are being taken to curb the ongoing crime problem.
This follows yet more crime incidents that has taken place in the area recently, reported to the Laudium Sun, by concerned members of the community.
In one of the recent incidents reported, a gang of thieves pounced on a warehouse of the NPO, ‘Garden Social Services’, headed by Moulana Aboobaker Chouglay. The premises is used to store bulk groceries meant to distribute amongst the poor and needy in the area and beyond. According to CCTV footage, four Black thieves arrived in a white bakkie the previous Saturday night, at around 11pm, then broke into the Laudium warehouse on Agra Street East. Despite claims by the Laudium CPF and Police that they patrol the streets of Laudium, the thieves managed to drive into the area and drive out of the area during the quiet late night, with the large quantity of groceries they had stolen, valued at more than R10k.
Israel Ntsane, caretaker at the warehouse on Agra Street East, told the Laudium Sun, “I was not at the warehouse when the break-in took place on Saturday night, as I was on leave on the weekend and there was no one at the warehouse at the time. What I came to know was from my boss, Moulana Aboobaker Chouglay. There were four Black guys who arrived in a white bakkie before breaking into the warehouse. These thieves first broke the lock on the front gate to gain access to the premises. After that, they forced open the front door of the warehouse to enter, after which they stole various grocery items and loaded these onto bakkie. A lot of items were stolen, included bags of rice, cooking oil and mielie meal. They even stole shoes that were meant to give out to poor school children this winter. I heard that the value of the goods stolen was more than R10,000. Details of how the theft occurred were confirmed when Moulana went through the CCTV footage. It is very shocking for all of us, because nothing like this has ever happened at our warehouse before. It is even more upsetting that the burglary happened on the day when I was not present. Crime in the area is a big problem and all of us living in Laudium are not sleeping peacefully, because we realise that anyone can be a target of crime. The police need to take control of the situation by taking stronger action to stop it. We rarely see the police patrolling our streets especially at night. As a community, we need to feel secure and live in peace and harmony, not in fear.”
Resident Yusuf Cassim told the Laudium Sun, “I was shocked to hear about the break-in at the warehouse on our street. I live right next to the warehouse, which makes the situation even more concerning for me and my family. The area is becoming increasingly dangerous and it feels like the level of criminal activity is rising without proper control by the police. What is even more frustrating is that the police station is located very close to Agra Street East, yet incidents like this continues to happen. Living so close to where this break-in took place creates a terrible sense of unease. As residents in the neighbourhood we no longer feeling secure in our own surroundings. It is not just about one incident of crime, but a pattern that seems to be developing, where such crimes are becoming more frequent. This is affecting the daily lives of residents, as everyone is now more tense, worried and uncertain about their safety. There is a serious need for stronger policing measures to deal with this ongoing situation of crime. A community cannot function properly when fear becomes part of everyday life. The increasing crime is slowly breaking down the sense of trust and peace that people once had. It is difficult to accept that despite having law enforcement nearby, there is still very little visible improvement when it comes to preventing such acts. The role of the police and community patrollers is very important in maintaining order and safety, yet it feels like not enough is being done by them. There are often a lot of discussions and promises from the politicians and the CPF about improving security, but when it comes to real action, the results are not visible at all. This gap between what is said and what is done is creating frustration among residents who expect better protection and response.”
crime is breaking down the peace that people once had.
Mohammed Abed, of Agra Street East, told the Laudium Sun, “A place where people live should be a place of comfort, not constant worry. The current crime situation is affecting the sense of stability in the area and it cannot be ignored any longer. There needs to be more accountability by the politicians, the CPF and the police. There must be more visible police presence and more effective steps taken to address this ongoing crime in the area. Residents want to live in a peaceful environment where they cannot only feel safe, but be safe and secure without fear. If this ongoing crime continues, with criminals getting away so easily, it will only lead to worse problems within the community.”
Moulana Aboobaker Chouglay of the ‘Garden Social Services’ confirmed the break-in to the Laudium Sun, adding, “We are disappointed that these thieves had no qualms in stealing stock meant to be distributed to the poor. The crime situation is very worrying, but we will not be deterred in continuing to assist the poor and vulnerable, including the aged and those who have vision impairments.”