It is evident that residents of Laudium are still living in fear concerning crime and that since the new members of the Laudium CPF, under the chair of Shaheen Wahab, were brought in about two years back, the fear has gotten even worse.
This follows residents thereafter closing off streets in various neighbourhoods of Laudium with gates, out of desperation and fear of falling victim to the ongoing crime in the area. The CPF, is supposed to represent the community and liase with the police on matters affecting the community concerning policing and safety and security in the area. However, the CPF has failed dismally in bringing the police and community closer. In fact each day more and more residents are losing faith in the local police to protect them. Common complaints such as poor police patrols, poor police investigation of dockets, corrupt police members and poor response time to emergency calls, are some of the many complaints of residents which the CPF is supposed to have taken up with police management and have them investigate the complaints further with the aim of getting rid of the ‘bad apples’ in the police service, but have failed. Many residents have said that the CPF seems to be more concerned with escorting Cllr Patel (who seems to be afraid to meet on his own, the very same community members who voted for him) or protecting their friends, including those from Pakistan. Clearly Cllr Patel and Shaheen Wahab who are both staunch members of the ANC, also realise that the local police cannot curb crime in the area, but choose to remain silent. Hence Patel and his sidekick Shaheen, instead of proposing a crime prevention plan to protect the community, by involving the police, the ANC Police Minister and the ANC Gauteng Premier (involved with crime prevention) chose to rather support a costly proposal to make one joint application to the Council to close off the greater part of the Laudium area by having controlled access. The proposal which was outlined at a meeting held this past Tuesday night (May 6) at the Laudium Civic Centre, could cost residents about a million rand to get going and further monthly amounts thereafter. In order to implement the plan to close off the area or restrict easy access, certain areas would also require walling and posting of guards at key points and having patrollers in the closed area,
which would require residents to dig deeper into their pockets each month. However, many residents supported the initiative out of desperation and necessity, to protect their families and themselves from the ongoing crime, as clearly the ANC led government has failed the people of South Africa. Since the ANC came into government, many residents who could afford it, were ‘forced’ to send their children to private schools, take out private medical aid, install solar panels at their homes due to loadshedding, implement security measures, with some residents even virtually abandoning their homes in Laudium and moving into private security estates.
Meeting:
Aniel Soma who co-ordinated the meeting of Tuesday night and represents the Laudium Gating Community (LGC) told the Laudium Sun, “The Laudium Gating Community (LGC) held a public meeting to discuss progress and developments related to the gating initiatives in Laudium, which about 190 people attended.
The purpose of the meeting was to:
– Outline the formal application process for the gating project;
– Inform the community of the strides made since the formation of LGC in late 2024;
– Extend an invitation to other areas of Laudium still considering participation in the gating initiative.
LGC Structure and Membership:
The LGC currently represents 13 home owners associations across Laudium. They are:
- Second Avenue;
- Fourth Avenue;
- Agra Street – West;
- Garnet Street;
- Hillside;
- Laudium Jacaranda;
- Laudium Ext 3;
- Laudium Business Forum;
- Lime and Ivory Street;
- Mendhi Street;
- Moonstone Street;
- Pendant Street;
- Taj Str, Sector one.
Potential associations include:
- Cinnamon and Corundum Streets;
- Jacinth Street;
- Agra Street – East.
The LGC currently represents about 1500 homes, with around 1100 homeowners (almost 73%), having already committed to the gating project. Its sole mandate is to prepare and submit a formal application to the City of Tshwane to legalise security gates in these mainly residential sectors. The LGC introduced its elected leadership and confirmed its registration as a Non-Profit Company (NPC).
Update on Progress:
The LGC is in the process of appointing a qualified traffic engineer to conduct a Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) as part of the legal application. Additionally, the LGC is finalising the appointment of a registered town planner to prepare the application documents for submission to the Council.
Key Points Raised During the Meeting:
A town planner representing one of the associations noted that the Local Spatial Development Plan (LSDP) for Laudium, drafted in 2014, is significantly outdated. He questioned whether the community had been involved in its development and highlighted the need for an urgent review. According to him, this outdated plan partly explains the proliferation of uncoordinated initiatives such as gating. The CPF Chairperson expressed strong support for the gating initiative, citing a notable drop in crime in gated areas. He, however emphasised the importance of legalising all gates.
The Ward Councillor also endorsed the gating efforts, noting their role in safeguarding Council infrastructure. However, he stressed that Laudium is a public suburb—not a private estate—and that gates may not be used to deny access to anyone, regardless of race.
Budget and Timeline:
A proposed application budget of R500,000 was presented, along with a breakdown of how these costs would be shared among participating associations.
The TIA is scheduled to begin shortly and be completed by 15 June 2025 (prior to the school holidays).
The full application is targeted for completion by 31 August 2025, with a grace period extended by Council until 30 September 2025.
Closing Remarks:
The meeting ended with an invitation for any remaining interested parties to join the initiative, noting that those who do not may have to initiate a separate application independently. The floor was opened for questions and comments, but only a few were raised.”
committed to the gating project.
