Residents in the Laudium/Erasmia area continue to be confronted with crime and grime, with not only the ANC-led Government or Tshwane Council failing to deliver, but also the ‘captured’ local community organisations also failing the community.
Led by ANC Cllr Naeem Patel, ANC members are in control of the CPF, the Ward Committee, the local so called Ward 61 Residents Association, etc, which do not seem to understand what their mandate is (other than to dance to Cllr Patel’s tune) as they have failed to monitor and expose poor service delivery on behalf of the community. Thus unfortunately, poor services, including poor policing continue to affect residents negatively.
This follows another week, with some reports of crime being received by the Laudium Sun, despite the local police and the CPF hiding crime stats. In one of the reports received for stats purposes, residents living near the Council owned swimming pool on 8th Ave said that the premises of the public pool were broken into, the previous Sunday night at around 11pm, with a number of computers being stolen from the office of the lifeguard. According to CCTV footage, at least three Black males were involved in the theft, after entering the premises by breaking open the front door. It is unclear where the security guards were at the time of the break-in.
Doris Makgalemele, cashier at the Laudium Swimming Pool, told the Laudium Sun, “According to our CCTV footage, the break-in at the Laudium Swimming Pool took place at around 11pm on Sunday night. The footage showed three thieves entering the premises after breaking the front door, then gaining access to the lifeguard’s office where all the computers were stored. It is unclear if the thieves came with their car because the CCTV footage did not reach the main gate, so there is no clear view of how they entered or exited the premises. From what I can see and understand, the thieves came prepared and knew exactly where to go because they went straight to the lifeguard’s office without wasting time. I guess the thieves came with their own car where they loaded all the computers after the theft and then left the scene without being noticed. It is very concerning that such an incident could take place at a public facility like this, especially at night when there should be some form of security monitoring the area. I am not sure where the security guard was at that point of time when the theft took place, because this is something that should have been prevented or at least noticed immediately. The fact that the thieves managed to break in, enter the office, remove multiple computers and leave without being stopped raises serious concerns about the level of security at the swimming pool. This shows that there is a lack of proper monitoring and control, which has now caused losses for the Council. It is really a heart-breaking incident because these computers are important for daily operations and administration at the swimming pool. The loss affects not only the staff but also the community which makes use of this facility. It is not just about the value of the items stolen, but also about the damage and inconvenience caused. I hope that a proper investigation will be done by the police and that the culprits will be caught as soon as possible. There needs to be accountability as to where the security guard was and how stronger security measures should be put into place, to prevent such incidents from happening again. This theft shows that Laudium is really not safe anymore. Incidents like these are increasing and it is becoming worrying for everyone living and working in the area.”
Darren Chetty, a resident of the nearby Aquamarine Street in Laudium, told the Laudium Sun, “I heard about the break-in at the swimming pool and it is really concerning to try to figure out how the thieves could have managed to steal more than 6 computers from the office without any difficulty. These are not a small items that can be hidden easily and it raises many questions about how such an incident could take place at a Tshwane Council facility, where there should be some level of security control and awareness at all times. From what I have heard it makes me feel that something is not right because the thieves who carried out the theft seemed to know exactly where to go and what to take. It does not look like a random act of crime, but rather something that was planned properly with inside information about the layout of the place. Another concern is that I heard some of these computers were new and recently installed. which makes the loss even more serious. The theft shows that the Tshwane Council lacks proper systems in place to safeguard their assets, which ultimately belong to the community. This theft once more shows the need for better policing and CPF patrols. I believe that the police must conduct a full and detailed investigation into this matter and not just treat it as a normal theft case. Every angle must be looked into carefully, including the possibility of internal involvement. If it is found that there was any negligence or direct involvement from individuals working at the swimming pool, then those responsible must be held accountable for their actions.”
once more shows a need for better policing and
CPF patrols.
Dinesh Singh, another resident from Aquamarine Street, told the Laudium Sun, “The incident is not just about computers being stolen, but reflects a bigger problem regarding safety and accountability in the area. Laudium is already facing many challenges, with crime and grime high on the list and incidents like this only make the situation worse. There needs to be stronger action by the police, the CPF and the politicians to ensure that such things do not happen again and that the community can have confidence in how public facilities are managed and protected.”