The ‘proof is in the pudding’ as the saying goes.
This, as many residents are asking just how much safer or better has Laudium become, since Cllr Naeem Patel and Laudium CPF Chair Shaheen Wahab came into office? Both Patel and Wahab sit on various forums, representing the community on matters concerning crime. Big talks, big Awards Night (where the ANC is promoted) and even collecting big monies from the community for the Awards Night (despite this being done in the name of Patel) and CPF funding (without producing financials), has not helped the community, which still remains living in fear, due to the ongoing crime in the area.
This follows yet again, many crime reports being sent to the Laudium Sun on a weekly basis, regarding crimes taking place in the Laudium/Erasmia area.
In one of these reports, thieves managed to enter the property of Raazia Wardi the previous Wednesday night, without being spotted entering or leaving the premises, despite the huge items stolen. According to reports four Black males entered the Agra Str East property at around 11pm and managed to steal a number of items, including a Ryobi Inverter 2800 W 230 V gasoline generator, red and black in color, worth R18,000.
Raazia told the Laudium Sun, “We were sleeping at the time when the theft took place on Wednesday night. We were surprised to realize in the morning that thieves had entered our yard and managed to steal various items, even our new generator. It was really sad for us because we bought this smart generator recently, due to the ongoing power failures in Laudium. It was a brand-new and expensive generator and it is not even a few months since we bought it and now it has been stolen. I can only assume that these thieves had some information that we had the new generator installed in the back part of our yard. According to the CCTV footage, we learnt that there were four Black thieves who parked their vehicle in front of our front gate. They broke open the gate leading to the back yard and then stole the generator which was in our backyard. It is truly sad as the thieves had no fear to carry such a large generator out of the yard, without fear of being caught. These thieves nowadays have such audacity as to steal a big generator from a yard. It is now clear to me that there is no law enforcement in this town and any thief can do whatever they want with no police force to stop them. Laudium has become a haven for criminals and it is going from bad to worse, because they seemingly know that we do not have an effective police and CPF who are committed to stopping crime in the area. I appeal to anyone who has any information about the whereabouts of our generator, to please contact us, the Laudium Sun, or the local police. Your information will be treated as confidential.”
Mohammed Ebrahim, also of Agra Str East, told the Laudium Sun, “The crime in Laudium has literally skyrocketed with thieves not afraid at all, even to steal something like a generator from a yard. The theft of such a huge item is truly terrifying and the police must investigate this matter closely and make sure the criminals are caught and face the full might of the law. As residents we are living in constant fear, knowing that such criminal incidents can happen at any time, even in our own homes. People invest in valuable items like generators for electricity backup, especially due to the frequent power outages. Besides the back-up for domestic purposes, the generator also serves as a security back-up when there is a power outage, so that properties are lit up and electric fences and alarms are working. But now, brazen thieves are also stealing these huge generators. As a community, we certainly need to urgently address the ongoing crime in Laudium, which seems to be getting from bad to worse.”
Muhammed Valley, another resident of Agra Str East, told the Laudium Sun, “This ongoing crime is really frustrating, because seemingly these thieves are in control of the area, as they act freely without any fear. Residents are living in constant worry and fear, which is not a life at all and certainly not freedom, as we do not feel safe even in our own homes. The sense of security in the neighborhood has completely disappeared as criminals continue to act with impunity. The police and the CPF must enforce a strong plan to restore safety and ensure that residents in Laudium can live in peace and without fear.”
