Residents in Laudium have once more raised concerns with the ongoing street fights between various Pakistani groups, claiming that their lives remain at risk, as innocent bystanders or passersby’s are prone to get hurt.
This follows a fight between two Pakistanis this past Easter Monday (April 6), which resulted in a violent situation whereby two other Pakistanis were rushed to hospital after being shot and severely injured, in the late afternoon at around 5:30pm. The incident took place outside a ‘Pool game shop’ at the corner of Aquamarine Str & 8th Ave in Laudium, known to be frequented by Pakistanis who are often even seen gathered outside the premises playing cards, etc, even on the pavement of` the opposite side. According to a Pakistani eyewitness who did not want to be named, the afternoon was peaceful, with fellow Pakistanis enjoying themselves, chatting with each other and playing games, when all of a sudden a fight broke out at the pool game place, between two Pakistanis, who came from different regions of Pakistan and apparently had a grudge against each other.
This resulted in other Pakistanis joining in the fight with some trying to stop the fight. The Laudium Sun understands that this is when a local resident, Faisel Ebrahim also tried to stop the fight, but was then apparently hit by one of the Pakistanis from the crowd. It is then that Faisel produced his firearm and fired some shots, apparently in the ground, but the bullets according to Faisel ricocheted hitting one of his alleged assailants, Muqhtar Ahmed in his ankles. Faisal added that another Pakistani also wanted to attack him, thus he defended himself, resulting in Pakistani, Tasawar Hussain Choudhry also being injured. Laudium Police arrested Faisal at the scene and seized his licensed firearm with six live rounds.
RESPONSE
The Laudium Sun spoke to Faisel Ebrahim, a resident of Agra Str East, Laudium, at the Atteridgeville court, soon after he was granted bail of R1000, who said, “It was really a bad day for me. I often go to the pool place, to relax and spend time with my friends, but that day I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. There were two Pakistanis fighting and within seconds other Pakistanis joined in , arguing and fighting with rods, hitting each other and the situation was becoming extremely dangerous and volatile. I tried to calm the situation and wanted to solve the matter before the violence escalated further. I did not intend to hurt anyone. My goal was only to prevent the fight between the two groups from growing out of control. Suddenly, one Pakistani national, Muqhtar Ahmed, started chasing me and struck me on my back with a rod and was about to hit me again. I feared for my safety, more so as I believed that the other Pakistanis would join in and also attack me, as they started approaching me in a confrontational and aggressive manner. In order to protect myself, I took out my licensed firearm and fired two shots into the ground to scare them and stop the attack on me. My intention was not to harm anyone. Unfortunately, the bullets ricocheted and accidentally hit one person in the ankle and another person was injured as well. It was never my intention to shoot anyone; the shots were meant to defend myself and prevent further violence, with the hope of scaring the confrontational group. The situation escalated very quickly and I had no way to control it entirely. I was the one who said that someone should immediately call the police and I did not try to run away from the scene. When the police arrived, I immediately handed over my licensed firearm to them after which I was arrested. I was only defending myself in a dangerous and unpredictable situation, as those coming towards me were armed with amongst others, iron rods. I have learned a serious lesson from this incident. I will not get involved in group fights, even though our community is being affected by conflicts and violence, which is not acceptable. I hope that everyone understands that my intervention was done in good faith and to stop a violent situation getting out of hand, as I feared that these Pakistani groups could have killed each other. I acted purely in self-defense in response to a threatening situation against me. It is important for our community to remain peaceful and I will do my part to stay away from places where violence is present.”
Pakistani national, Muqhtar Ahmed, of who was discharged the Aquamarine Street, same day from hospital, told the Laudium Sun, “On Monday, my friend Tasawar Hussain Choudhry and I were sitting across the place from the pool place. We always sit there t play cards and talk. I have been living on the top floor of the building of the pool shop for almost 20 years with some friends. In those 20 years, we were never involved in any fights and no one ever misbehaved with us. On that day there was an argument between two of our Pakistani brothers while they were playing snooker. Suddenly, I saw one of our local Indian brothers, Faisel Ebrahim, come out with a gun from his black City Golf and started shooting directly at us. He fired two bullets. The first bullet hit my ankle. I stood up and asked him what was going on. He said he was going to shoot me in the head. After that, he shot my friend Tasawar in the leg. We were not involved in that argument at all. Whatever was happening, we were just sitting separately and minding our own business. There were no weapons involved in that argument, no rods, no knives, nothing at all. It was just a small disagreement during a snooker game. Suddenly, this guy came out with a gun and started shooting. This is not right at all. Faisel started swearing and saying offensive things against Pakistanis. We are peaceful people and we like to live in harmony, but incidents like this damages our name and create a wrong impression in the community. At one point, Faisel also pointed the gun towards children, which is very concerning and dangerous. This kind of behavior is not safe for the community. No one should feel unsafe in their own area. What happened was shocking and completely unexpected. This incident should not be misunderstood or misrepresented as something bigger than what it was. We are simple people who come together, spend time, and go about our daily lives.”
The Laudium Sun met with Tasawar Hussain at Kalafong Hospital, who resides on Aquamarine Str and is an active member of the EFF political party in Ward 61. Tasawar spoke to the Laudium Sun from his hospital bed, “The incident that happened to me was really bad and very shocking. I am glad that I am safe and recovering well in hospital. I was injured by Faisel Ebrahim, who I have known for some time. He shot at me and my friend for no reason at all. I was also hit with a rod by Faisel and he started attacking us before he took out his gun and shot at my leg. There was no fight between me and Faisel and I am still not sure why he took such a step and shot at us. There was another argument between two Pakistani individuals and that had nothing to do with us at all and yet we became the victims of this incident. This is what makes the situation even more confusing and concerning. I am an active member of the EFF in Ward 61 in Laudium and as I am standing for the position of Councillor in the coming election, this might be one of the reasons behind what happened. I am politically active and working for the community and it is possible that out of jealousy, Faisel acted in this manner and shot at me. There is no gang-related issue here and it should not be portrayed in that way. We are peaceful people who live in the community and try to maintain harmony with everyone around us. Incidents like this create fear and misunderstanding, which is not good for anyone. I hope that we can all sit down and talk and resolve issues in a peaceful way, because fighting is not a solution. We believe in peace, unity, and respect, and we do not support violence in any form.”
Brian Pillay, also of Aquamarine Str, told the Laudium Sun, “I heard about the fight that happened on Monday evening in front of the shop. This ongoing violence is now getting out of control and as a community, we feel like we have to just remain silent on what is happening. The situation is becoming very concerning because foreign nationals are coming into our area and creating fear with guns and violence. We, as members of the community, have remained silent and observed, but incidents like this cannot continue without response. The violence is affecting our daily lives. People are scared to go out, children and families are at risk and the normal sense of safety in the area is disappearing. We cannot just watch quietly while some individuals take control of parts of our streets with threats and weapons. It is not right for anyone to feel unsafe in the place they call home. The fear created by these actions disrupts the harmony we have always tried to maintain and it affects everyone living here. We must stand up as a community and take action to address these disruptions. This is not about targeting anyone unfairly; it is about ensuring that our streets are safe and that no one feels threatened. We need to find ways to work together, communicate with authorities who are not biased and make sure that safety and peace are restored. We need measures that ensure law and order, respect, and protection for everyone in Aquamarine Street and Laudium as a whole. This situation should remind everyone that peaceful coexistence is important. We must protect our neighborhood, our families, and our way of life while addressing issues of violence effectively. The community has to be heard, and we cannot let fear dictate our lives. Action, communication, and solidarity are necessary to prevent further incidents and to ensure safety and peace for all residents.”
A resident posted on one of the community WhatsApp groups concerning the fight, “Pakistani Mafia in Laudium. Be vigilant, I was there when it happened. Those oaks got no mercy.”
Police spokesperson Captain Johan van Dyk said police received a complaint of a shooting at Aquamarine Street at around 5:30pm. “Upon arrival at the scene, members found two men of Pakistani origin. One victim sustained gunshot wounds to both ankles, while the other suffered a broken right leg and a head injury, with visible bleeding.”