Foreign businessmen operating in Laudium, have once more raised fears about the high level of crime in the country, especially incidents of kidnapping.
This follows a local Pakistani, from a barber shop on Bengal Str, Laudium, being kidnapped this past Saturday morning (Oct 4), while on his way back to Laudium. According to friends of the victim, Hafiz Yaseer, from JJ Barber Shop located at Hanifa Centre, (Fatima Centre) on Bengal Street, Laudium, was abducted in Lynnwood, Pretoria. It is believed that Hafiz Yaseer was followed by his assailants from Laudium, as he made his way to one of their other branches in Lynwood, to drop off staff members. After dropping off two of his colleagues, while returning to Laudium, according to an eye witness, it is believed that Hafiz was stopped by four unknown African male assailants in Lynnwood, who kidnapped him on the spot.
in Lynwood, while on his way back to Laudium,
after dropping off staff members in Lynwood.
Aftab Ahmed, from JJ Barber Shop in Hanifa Centre, told the Laudium Sun, “Hafiz is my colleague and he has been working here for fifteen years. I am totally shocked that someone could kidnap him, because he is such a friendly guy and he doesn’t have any enemies. It is a really sad situation and I hope he will reunite with his family and us, as soon as possible. It was a normal day for us on Saturday. We opened our shop in Laudium as usual. Every morning, Hafiz takes some of our workers to our other branch in Lynnwood. It is something he has done for many years and it is part of his daily routine. That day was no different and we didn’t think anything unusual would happen. We didn’t know that on that day we wouldn’t see Hafiz again. Everything seemed normal; he left the shop, drove the usual route and was supposed to return after dropping off our colleagues and supplies at the other branch. Hafiz was driving a white Nissan and after dropping off our workers, neither Hafiz nor his car returned. We tried calling him multiple times, but there was no answer. At first, we thought maybe he was delayed or something minor had happened, but as the hours passed, we realized something terrible had occurred. This situation is really bad because Hafiz has a wife and children, who he lives together with at Himalaya Heights on Bengal Str. I cannot even imagine what his family is going through right now, waking up every morning, waiting for him, not knowing where he is or if he is safe. The thought of what his children must be feeling is unbearable. Hafiz is such a kind, hardworking, and responsible person. He has been part of our team for many years and has never caused trouble or been involved in any conflicts. Everyone who knows him respects him. That is why it is so difficult to believe that someone would target him. It makes all of us scared because if this can happen to Hafiz, it can happen to anyone. The police must conduct a thorough investigation. They need to follow every possible lead, check CCTV cameras along his route and speak to anyone who might have seen something. It could be that the criminals were following him from Laudium. Hafiz’s safety is the most important thing and the sooner he is found, the better. I keep thinking about how helpless his family must feel and it motivates us to do whatever we can to help the authorities to find him. We are praying for him every day and ask everyone in the community to help if they have any information about his whereabouts. His family needs him and we, as his colleagues and friends, need him back too. Hafiz is part of our family and the shop does not feel the same without him. The atmosphere is tense and everyone is worried about their own safety as well. We hope the investigation is conducted properly and we are asking the police to prioritize this case. Hafiz must come back to us very soon. We are waiting anxiously for any news. The whole community is affected by this ongoing crime and it is time that we, as a community, send a strong message that such acts will not be tolerated. We are standing together, hoping for Hafiz’s safe return and praying that justice is served.”
Naseer Yaseer, the cousin of Hafiz Yaseer and who also works at JJ Barber Shop at Hanifa Centre, told the Laudium Sun, “We can’t say much about this incident at the moment because the investigation is still in progress and we are waiting for the authorities to give us updates. All we can do right now is hope and pray that Hafiz comes back to us very soon. Hafiz is not someone who has enemies, so we are all very confused and worried about why this happened. He has always been a peaceful, hardworking and friendly person, someone who treats everyone around him with respect. That is why this situation is so shocking and difficult for all of us to understand. We just hope that wherever Hafiz is, he is safe, sound and being treated well. We pray every day for his health and safety and we are hoping that the police can find him quickly and bring him back to his family and friends. It is such a frightening experience for us and his family. His children and wife are very anxious and so are his cousins and colleagues. We are all trying to stay strong for them. We are also urging anyone who might have seen something or has any information about Hafiz’s location, to come forward and assist the police. All of us at JJ Barber Shop are keeping our fingers crossed, hoping for a positive outcome. We just want Hafiz back safely so that our team, his family and the entire community can breathe easy again. We will continue to pray and support his loved ones until he returns.”
Iqbal Hasware, a resident of Himalaya Street, Laudium, told the Laudium Sun, “Crime in our area and the whole country is really bad. There are so many kidnappings and robberies happening, but there is no real response or feedback from the police. Service delivery in our area is getting from bad to worse. Our streetlights have been off for years, the services in Laudium are really pathetic and crime is increasing at an alarming rate. We feel unsafe and it seems like no one is taking the necessary action to protect the community.”
