From Mosques to schools to homes, criminals continue to ravage the Laudium/Erasmia area, with little or no resistance from the various law enforcement agencies, supposedly patrolling the streets in the area.
While most schools unofficially closed at the end of November after the final exams, thieves have certainly not closed shop, concerning their greed to steal and continue attacking soft targets.
This follows thieves believed to be nyaopes, pouncing on Laudium’s oldest school, last Wednesday evening (Dec 3) at around 7pm. According to CCTV footage, at least two thieves jumped over the front gate fence of the Andrew Anthony Primary School on 13th Avenue, ripping and stealing lengths of electrical and intercom wires, amongst others.
Security guard at Andrew Anthony, William Baloyi, told the Laudium Sun, “On the night of the theft I was off duty and had no idea what was happening at the school. Later, when I came on duty, I discovered electrical and intercom wires that were installed along the outside walls and all over the school, ripped off and missing. I could not understand how it was possible that the wires could just be cut and missing. That is when I went to check the CCTV footage and saw that at least two Black guys jumped over the front gate fence of the school and gained access to the premises. They moved directly toward the main building and just started ripping off the wires from area to area and then they could be seen leaving. It was shocking to see how boldly they were acting, as if they were not afraid of being caught. I am not sure if they stole anything else, but it was clear that these thieves just wanted to make a few rand from their theft. But the theft caused a big disruption at the school, as the wires needed to be replaced at a huge cost. I feel strongly that targeting a school is completely unacceptable and this kind of crime is getting out of control. At the end it is going to result in the parents of the school paying for the theft, many of whom come from the townships and cannot afford it. The theft shows how little regard these greedy thieves have for places dedicated to learning. Even with security measures in place, the audacity of criminals seems to increase every day and even learning institutions are not spared. I believe that stricter punishments are necessary to teach these thieves a lesson and to discourage others from committing similar crimes.”
Nearby resident to the school, Razia Patel, of 13th Avenue, Laudium, told the Laudium Sun, “The festive season is here and thieves are not even sparing schools. They know the schools are closed, so they are taking full advantage of this, to steal school infrastructure and equipment. It is very worrying, because schools are places meant for learning and safety and no one expects these places of learning to be targeted. It is shocking to see criminals act without any regard for children or the community. Stealing from a school or even a religious place is completely unacceptable and it just shows how bold and arrogant these thieves have become. I plead with the police and the CPF Patrollers, who are mainly seen during events, to increase patrols around all schools especially during the school holidays. I even asked the CPF why they do not patrol the schools and check on them regularly.”
Bradley Pillay, also of 13th Avenue, told the Laudium Sun, “In South Africa, we really need the death penalty because thieves are getting out of hand and are even stealing from schools. Although we cannot do much for the country, as a community, we should start doing something to protect our area. We need to expose lazy and corrupt police officials in our area. How come we never see them patrolling the streets. This school is so near the Police Station yet I have never seen a police van stopping and checking the school. Everything seems to be falling apart and criminals are taking full advantage of a weak system.”
