Residents in the Laudium/Erasmia area have once more be warned not to let anyone into their properties before confirming identities.
This follows the past two weeks during which a number of residents and businesses have been confronted by two black guys, driving a white bakkie and claiming to be from the Tshwane Council. The pair who stopped at several homes and businesses in the area, claimed that they were doing various inspections. A resident from Bengal Street, Avesh Nitraj told the Laudium Sun, “I was approached by the pair of black guys
who arrived in a white bakkie, on Monday morning (Aug 19) at around 10pm. They genuinely looked like they were from the Council, that is why I did not even bother checking the make or number plate of their vehicle or even ask them for their ID’s. They told me that they were checking if we had recently done any illegal building at the back of our yard and needed to come inside and check. I told them that I was
living at the same property for over twenty years and that they were welcome to come inside and check as there was no building or
renovations done on our property since living there. When they got in, I got a call from a friend and then went to the side of the house to take the call. Within about 3 minutes of the call, when I went back to the back section of the yard where I left the two guys, I was surprised to see that these guys had already left. I found it strange that they did not even wait for me before leaving, but left it at that. Later at around 4pm when it was a bit cool I was looking for the lawnmower to have the grass at the front part of the house cut, but could not find the electric mower. It only struck me then that the two guys had stolen the lawnmower and made a quick dash for it while I was still on the phone. I have not even reported the matter to the police because I believe they will do nothing to find these thieves.” In another incident on the same day, Akraam Hoosain who is the owner of My Gift Centre on 13th Ave told the Laudium Sun, “On Monday morning (August 19) two black guys were driving up and down 13th Ave looking at the shops. My friend Faidain Patel who works next door at Smart Pick N Pay and I, were standing outside the shop and these guys pulled up at our shop. We asked them if we could help them and they said they need to come inside the shop to see what was going on as they had information that we were selling goods without a permit. We told them we cannot allow them into our shops without seeing Owner of My Gift Center on 13th Ave, Hoosain, said the criminals are not even afraid to enter their shops in broad daylight. Akram their credentials. The two guys then said they are private workers for the Municipality. We still refused to allow them into the shops. These guys than started being rude and when we called security they fled in their white bakkie. We then received a message from the community groups later saying that these guys are scammers and they trying to enter places and rob people. Crime is very bad in Laudium.” Faidin Patel who works at Smart Pick N Pay told the Laudium Sun,” We are really afraid because crime is so bad in the area, and these criminals are so daring that they are not even afraid to come into our shops in broad daylight to steal and hurt us. We are doing a honest living to support our familes and these thieves come to rob us of our hard earnings.”