While the Laudium CPF acting head and Chair of the Pakistan South Africa Association, Zahid ul Zama, seemingly continues to act more in the interest of the ANC and Cllr Naeem Patel, the pleas of residents concerning crime seem to be ignored.
This follows residents desperately calling for, amongst others, more Police and CPF patrols in the area and frequent ‘stop and search operations,’ as more and more ‘undesirables’ are seen wandering on the streets.
This follows yet again this week, more reports of crime received by the Laudium Sun, while the CPF remains silent on crime stats.
This time, an elderly Emerald Street, Laudium resident and retired principal, Sachu Pillay, was attacked by two ‘mixed race’ thieves after he felt sorry for them when they knocked on his door asking for cold water.
The attack on the good Samaritan, which took place the previous Thursday afternoon at around 4.30pm, resulted in the thieves stealing two wallets containing cash, as well as other items, including expensive branded clothing. Despite the resident living near the Laudium Police Station, neither the Police nor CPF patrollers saw the thieves enter or leave the home.
Sachu told the Laudium Sun, “I was at home on Thursday and the only mistake I made was leaving my front gate open. I was inside my house when I heard someone knocking at the door. I wondered how they had entered my property, so I opened the door and saw two males who appeared to be of mixed race. They told me they were thirsty and needed cold water to drink. I trusted them because I thought they were genuinely thirsty and simply wanted some water. I told them to wait by the door, which I left open as I did not want to be rude by closing the door on them, while I went to the kitchen to fetch water for them. I was alone in the house and it took me only about a minute to get the water and return to the living room. However, when I came back, I realised that the two men were no longer there. They had disappeared and I was surprised because I had gone to the kitchen only to get them water. I then went to my bedroom and noticed that my wardrobe had been left open. When I checked my belongings, I realised that some of my expensive clothes, including Gucci and Polo items, were missing. My two wallets, which contained some cash, were also gone. I felt terrible because I was only trying to help them by giving them water on a very hot day and within a minute or two, this pair of thieves managed to steal from my bedroom and flee so quickly, which tells me that they seem to have engaged in this kind of theft previously. I never imagined that someone would take advantage of my kindness in this way. I trusted them and wanted to help, but they used that opportunity to steal from me. As an elderly person, it is very hurtful to experience something like this in my own home. One’s home is supposed to be a place where one feels safe, but after what happened, I was left feeling disappointed and violated. What hurts me the most is that I was helping these people, yet they took advantage of me and stole my belongings. I cannot understand how someone can ask another person for help and then repay that kindness by stealing from them. What are we becoming here in Laudium? It feels as though there is no humanity left when people can treat each other this way. Instead of helping one another, people are taking advantage of others, even the elderly. It seems that criminals are freely attacking residents even during the day, as they know that they can get away with it because of the poor policing in the area. This is really bad and I hope that no one else must experience what has happened to me. I would not want another elderly person to go through the same thing. People need to be careful and remain alert, even when someone approaches them asking for something as simple as a glass of water.”
Zulfiqar Rahman of Emerald Street, told the Laudium Sun, “I heard about the theft that happened to our neighbour, uncle Sachu Pillay, and this is really bad. He is an elderly man and I cannot understand how people can take advantage of someone his age, in such a terrible way. It is very disappointing to hear that someone who was simply trying to help two people by giving them water, could end up being a victim of theft. When someone asks for help, especially for something as basic as drinking water, you do not expect them to take advantage of your kindness and steal from you. This incident is very concerning because it shows how people are becoming vulnerable in their own homes. An elderly person should be able to live peacefully without having to worry about strangers coming to their door and taking advantage of them. Crime is increasing in Laudium and this is something that should concern every resident. People are becoming worried about their safety and incidents like this make residents question whether they can still feel safe in their own neighbourhoods. We cannot allow a situation where elderly people are afraid to open their doors or help someone who asks for assistance. At the same time, residents need to be cautious because criminals can use different tricks to gain people’s trust before committing a crime. We need strong Police and CPF patrollers’ presence in the area, as it seems that criminals are not afraid to attack residents even during the day. There should also be more searches carried out by the Police on the streets for people just walking around who do not live in the area. Right now, it feels as though there is no peace in Laudium as crime is becoming a very serious concern. I hope that something will be done to address this situation by the politicians, the CPF and the Police before more people become victims. Our elderly residents and the community as a whole deserve to live with dignity, security and peace of mind. We want Laudium to be a peaceful place where people can trust one another and feel safe in their own homes.”
