Once more questions are being asked as to how the Laudium CPF, more commonly known as ‘glorified car guards,’ is assisting in bringing down crime in the area.
The Laudium CPF, whose membership includes those with criminal records, active members of the ANC and those not born in South Africa, are regarded by many locals as a mouth piece for ANC Councillor Naeem Patel.
To date the CPF has mainly kept silent when their members have been implicated in unlawful activities, including the recent violent attack at Bismillah Restaurant, whereby the known perpetrator, a Pakistani national, produced a firearm at a crowd, while beating up some people. Despite senior Pakistani CPF members being at the crime scene, they not only hid information from the police, concerning the names of those involved in the fight, but assisted some of the perpertrators to escape from the back door, when the police arrived. While the CPF tries hard to blow their own trumpet, residents in the area remain living in fear, as crime continues.
In one of the latest incidents of crime reported to the Laudium Sun this week, for stats purposes, two thieves broke into a property on Kathmandu Str, Laudium Ext 3, last Tuesday night at around 11pm, while the family was asleep. The thieves not only broke into a red Toyota Tazz belonging to Osman Cassim, stealing the car radio and spare wheel, but also vandalised the interior of the vehicle.
was also vandalized by vindictive thieves
Osman told the Laudium Sun, “We were asleep when this theft took place. Although I am not sure what time these thieves entered my yard, I suspect that it was at around 11pm, as it was at that time when I heard some unusual noises outside in the yard. As I was really sleepy, I thought that perhaps it was just the wind or perhaps a cat in the yard and went back to sleep. I did not for a second think that there could be criminals in my yard. It was only later in the morning, after waking up, that I discovered that my car had been broken into and vandalised. It was very disturbing to see my red Toyota Tazz in the state it was. Besides the thieves stealing the car radio and the spare wheel, I can’t understand why they also caused so much damage to the interior of the car. It was as if they were being vindictive. I believe that at least two thieves were involved to carry out the items stolen. I am now facing unnecessary stress and financial burden, with this incident leaving me shaken, especially because it is not the first time I have experienced crime at my residence. There was a previous break-in at my house, which makes this situation even more worrying and frustrating. Crime in our area has become unbearable. These criminals seem to have no fear and are freely targeting people and their properties. As a family we no longer feel safe in our own home and the constant worry of being robbed again has affected our peace of mind. What hurts the most is that this area used to be safe, where residents could sleep peacefully without fear. Those days feel like they are long gone. I now struggle to rest at night because I am always anxious, wondering could happen next. The fear is not only about damage or theft but also about personal safety. This is a real concern, as these criminals had the audacity to invade our privacy and may return, possibly to even break into our home, while we are asleep. Living with this kind of uncertainty is exhausting and emotionally draining. There is a serious need for better protection and security on Kathmandu Street. More visible policing and regular patrols are urgently required to deter all this criminal activity. The lack of law enforcement presence has allowed criminals to operate without consequence, putting residents at constant risk. I urge the local CPF and the local Police to take our fears and concerns seriously and to increase patrols in our area. Kathmandu Street has become dangerous and without immediate action, more residents will continue to suffer. All we are asking for, is safety, protection and the ability to live without fear in our own home.”
Osman’s neighbour, Vina Pachoo, told the Laudium Sun, “I live next door to Osman Cassim and I am very concerned about the ongoing crime in our area. This is the second time my neighbour has been attacked and it seems we in this area are being targeted repeatedly. I am not sure why this is happening, but it is frightening to see these incidents of crime becoming more serious each day. Today, they damaged his car and I worry that tomorrow they may even try to steal it. Living in this area, I feel scared for my own safety as well. We urgently need real protection because the current situation is unacceptable. The CPF Community Patrollers and the Police should provide us with safety and security, but unfortunately we can no longer rely on the police. We rarely see a police van patrolling our street and without visible law enforcement presence, it is hard to feel safe.”
Magan Padayachy, also of Kathmandu Street, told the Laudium Sun, “Criminals are walking freely on our street, watching our movements and we feel powerless to stop them. The crime rate in our area has become too high and we need answers from the SAPS and the local CPF. We are tired of talks about talks and empty promises. I just cannot understand why they are not patrolling our street regularly. We demand, as per our right, to be protected. Where are the police and CPF Community Patrollers?”
