Erasmia residents are very concerned that the mushrooming of informal settlements around the area is leading to an increase in crime.
Despite residents complaining to the ANC Ward Councillor, Naeem Patel and having various meetings with him and the ANC-led Tshwane Council, concerning the increasing number of illegal shacks being put up around Erasmia, especially behind the ‘Cheese Shop’ more and more shacks are being erected. Seemingly, the Tshwane Council is turning a blind eye to the illegal shacks, as there is also a supply of electricity to these shacks.
This follows yet another crime in the main Erasmia area, reported to the Laudium Sun, once again increasing the concerns of the community.
In one of the latest incidents of crime, another gate motor has been reported stolen. This time a Sonneblom resident was greeted with shock, when she woke up last Wednesday morning, only to discover that the motors of both gates on their property had been stolen. Homeowner, Shamila Pillay, of Sonneblom Street in Erasmia, told the Laudium Sun, “It was around 9pm last Tuesday night, when I heard a strange noise in our yard. I thought it might be our dog, so I didn’t investigate it further and stayed indoors as it was then quiet. The next morning, when I went outside, I saw that the gate motors from both our gates had been stolen. All I could see were some wires left behind — the motors were completely gone. I don’t think this was the work of just one person. I suspect that it was the work of at least two thieves, who jumped over our front wall to get into the yard. I also noticed some footprints, which makes me believe there were at least two of them. Crime is too terrible in our area and I believe that more police visibility would help reduce the crime. A lot of bad things are happening around here and we need to stay strong as a community to tackle the crime. Replacing the gate motors is an unnecessary and very expensive burden for us. I hope there will be more crime prevention initiatives and patrols in our area, so Erasmia can once again be a peaceful place to live in.”
Omnia Hussain of Sonneblom Street, told the Laudium Sun, “The crime on our street was not so high before, but nowadays many incidents are happening in our area. The problem is that these criminals seem to be winning at the moment, they don’t fear the police. So, they just keep doing what they want because they are getting away. The time has come where we as a community cannot depend solely on the police. We, as a community, also need to step up and do something to help reduce crime and stay safe.”
Yet another Sonneblom Street resident, Ayesha Ismail, told the Laudium Sun, “I heard about the gate motor theft on our community groups and it’s really unfortunate. Crime in our area wasn’t this bad before, but with all the squatter camps mushrooming around Erasmia, it seems to really be increasing.”
