Laudium is fast becoming known as a crime riddled area, not only by residents but also by visitors to the area.
This, despite the Laudium CPF collecting donations (in cash and kind) from the community allegedly ‘to curb crime’ in the area, but refusing to make public on their social media platform, how many donations have been received over the past three years and how the donations were spent. Speculation is rife that the recent ‘Fund Raising Dinner’ of the CPF, saw a number of tickets given free to friends and family members of the CPF, after businesses donated more than the ticket price.
This follows yet more incidents of crime in the area reported to the Laudium Sun this week, with one of the latest being a visitor to the area falling victim to crime. While many residents were busy buying gifts or arranging for roses to be delivered to their dear ones on Valentine’s Day, thieves were busy breaking into the car of a visitor from Johannesburg, who parked his car in the driveway of the home of a friend he was visiting on Bengal Street, Laudium.
The break-in of the car last Friday afternoon (Feb 13) at around 4:45pm left the visitor, Jay Prakesh Bhima shocked, when he discovered that a number of items had been stolen from his car, including his Asus laptop worth R15,000 and Ferrari sunglasses worth R4,000.
Jackie Kolopen, the Bengal Street resident, told the Laudium Sun, “A friend of mine, Jay, from Johannesburg visited me last Friday afternoon. We were sitting in the living room, talking and catching up, as we had not met for a long time. Everything was going well and we were enjoying our time together. Suddenly Jay got a message that his car alarm, a white Ford had been activated, so we rushed outside to check what had happened. When we got to his car, we saw that the boot was open. Then when my friend looked into the boot, he immediately noticed that his laptop and expensive Ferrari sunglasses were missing. That’s when we realized that someone had stolen the belongings from his car. I immediately asked my neighbours if they had seen anyone suspicious in the area. One of them then told me that they had seen a white Polo nearby, which could have had something to do with the break-in. I have been living in Laudium since 1987 and I have no intention of moving. I know that the crime rate here is very high and that many people have moved away, but I have so many memories in this place and I want our old neighbourhood back. I really don’t want to leave. I love Laudium. This is my home. We need to, as a community, get our old Laudium back and demand that the local SAPS and Laudium CPF Patrollers, patrol our areas more often so that the high crime rate can come down. This theft has been shocking and very embarrassing, but I hope that with more vigilance, these crimes can be prevented in the future. Even though this theft happened, it does not change my love for Laudium or my commitment to staying here. I want our neighbourhood to be safe again, where people can feel comfortable visiting and living, just like it used to be in the old days. I want everyone to feel proud of Laudium again and I hope the politicians and the community work together to make our streets safer. I want to see our community return to the way it was, with trust, safety and a sense of belonging. This is my home and no incident can make me forget the deep connection I have to this place.”
embarrassed when the car of his visitor was
stolen, adding that he does not want to leave
Laduium and that the local SAPS and CPF
must patrol the area more often.
Jeram Bhana, of Bengal Street, told the Laudium Sun, “This incident of theft from a car is really bad because it seems like visitors to Laudium cannot safely visit us anymore, as Laudium is becoming a no-go area. What impression are we giving to outsiders who come to visit us in Laudium? It feels like we are pushing people away instead of welcoming them. This is not the image our community should be giving. Crime is sky-high and it seems like those in authority are not doing anything to curb it. Almost every day we hear about thefts, robberies and other criminal activities taking place in the area. Residents are living in fear and visitors no longer feel safe when they come here. This situation is damaging our reputation and destroying the peace that we once had in our neighbourhood. As residents, we must unite and stand together for the sake of our community. We must remove bad
governance and corrupt officials and come up with new and practical solutions, because the leadership we currently have is not delivering according to their mandate. There is a serious lack of accountability and it feels like those who are in control are not prioritizing the safety and well-being of residents. Corruption and poor leadership are making the situation worse. We need new people to lead Laudium, people who are committed, honest and willing to work hard to restore safety and pride in our area. Our community deserves better leadership and stronger action against crime. If nothing changes, Laudium will continue to decline and more residents will leave. We must act now to protect our homes, our families and the future of Laudium.”
community deserves better leadership and
stronger action against crime.
Zahara Cassim, also of Bengal Street, told the Laudium Sun, “This area is really going downhill as crime is very high. I don’t see any SAPS or CPF Patrollers in our area. How can we live in a place where crime is so high and where we have to live in fear every day.”