Allegations have once more surfaced, that raids by members of the SAPS or the Metro Police in the Laudium/Erasmia area are leaked to certain groups of residents, prior to the operations.
For some time now, the Laudium Sun has been receiving calls from concerned people asking why it is that when there are police raids, the main culprits, such as the major drug dealers and those involved in buying stolen property, are not arrested and sentenced? There have also been questions asked as to why before these police raids, most of the Pakistani shops are closed. Many residents have questioned why Patel and his perceived ‘sidekick’ CPF Chair, Shaheen Wahab, are told about such raids prior to the operations and why they are called to assist in such raids. It is common knowledge that both Patel and Shaheen are very close to many of the local Pakistani owned businesses, who financially support Patel in his campaigns and are even members of the CPF. Furthermore, there are certain drug dealers and those involved in buying stolen goods, who are known to both Patel and Shaheen, yet these criminals are not arrested and if by chance some of them are arrested, they are released soon thereafter.
This follows a recent raid by the Tshwane Metro Police, who supposedly launched a major compliance operation in the Laudium area this past Tuesday (May 27), to check whether all businesses were complying with required documentation and other key regulations. However, before the operation even began, many shops in the Laudium area, owned mostly by Pakistanis, had closed, which has once more raised the question as to who leaked the information to these businesses.
Pakistani national, Bilal Ahmed of Bilals Furniture House on 9th Ave, Laudium, told the Laudium Sun, “I was at my shop at around 9am on Tuesday morning when I noticed other shops which had just opened, starting to close. I asked a friend why this was happening and he told me that a major Tshwane Metro Police operation was about to take place in Laudium. Without hesitation, I decided to close my shop too, because everyone else was closing. So I closed my shop at around 9am and reopened after 2pm, when others opened again, after the Metro Police had left. What I don’t understand is why the Metro Police can’t take action against known drug houses in the area. These places operate openly and without fear. It seems like a political game, nothing more.”
Another Pakistani, Shahzad Afjal of Savannah Hair Salon on Tangerine Street, Laudium, told the Laudium Sun, “My shop was fully operational on Tuesday when the Metro Police conducted their operation in Laudium. We have all the necessary paperwork for our business, so we’re not afraid of anyone. We remained open throughout the day. I noticed that many other shops were closed, but I can’t say why they chose to shut down. However, I suspect it might be because when the Metro comes around, they can issue fines or tickets if a shop lacks compliance certificates, so maybe that’s why about half of the shops decided to close.”
Towhid Ullah of Agra Shop on 19th Avenue told the Laudium Sun, “I closed my shop on the day the Tshwane Metro Police conducted their operation. Since many other shops were also closed, I decided to do the same. I shut my shop shortly past 9am and re-opened at around 4pm.”
Ali Raza, manager of Mochachos Laudium, told the Laudium Sun, “We were not closed on the day the Tshwane Metro Police conducted their compliance operation, because we have all our documents in order. We had no reason to be afraid or to hide anything. I heard some shops were closed, perhaps they didn’t have the correct paperwork, but we operate seven days a week and have no issues.”
Imraan Ahmed of the newly formed interim ‘Concerned Community Forum’ told the Laudium Sun, “I have heard about the allegations that certain drug dealers and foreign owned businesses are being protected by certain of our so-called leaders. I also received complaints that Naeem and Shaheen are allegedly targeting those who oppose them, by using the police in order to embarrass them and get them arrested or fined. Apparently, they were giving false info to the police and Metro Police. There have also been allegations that during this last Metro Police raid on Tuesday, the two had allegedly given information on a locally owned business about some small by-law being infringed, but the interesting part is that this businessman has recently openly challenged the two, concerning their failure in serving the community. I have information that several other businesses nearby, who are trading despite serious by-law infringements, were not targeted by the same police, as the owners of these businesses are apparently friends of both Shaheen and Naeem. I will be calling, with the support of other businessmen, on the relevant authorities to investigate these allegations against both Shaheen and Naeem and to take the necessary action against them, if it is found in any way that they acted in a corrupt or illegal manner. My question to both of them is very simple, ‘both of you guys know the Laudium area very well as you have been raised in this community. Surely you know very well who the drug dealers in the area are and also who the buyers of stolen goods living in the area are. Why are these culprits not arrested? Yet you guys are quick to post on social media that you assist
the police in operations, so why are you not assisting the police in catching the culprits. Or perhaps, as many believe, are you involved in these operations to tip off these very same culprits about possible police raids?,’ it is a question I ask out of concern.”
