While the Laudium police and CPF are playing the guessing game with residents, as to whether the police and CPF can effectively patrol their streets, residents remain living in fear due to the ongoing crime in the area.
Despite repeated calls by residents for increased police patrols and random ‘search’ operations in the area, there has been no response.
This follows residents complaining about suspicious vehicles with passengers not living in the area, freely driving in and out of Laudium. Residents have also once more complained about the increase in ‘loiterers’ and ‘nyaope’s’ on the streets, some of whom suspiciously just sit outside their homes, watching their movements. With crime, especially petty crime, seemingly on the increase in the area, residents say that the local police are not even bothered to question or search these loiterers, regarding where they are going, nor where they live nor confirm their identities.
This follows yet another complaint of petty theft received by the Laudium Sun recently, with a nyaope believed to have stolen a 5-litre gas tank from the home of Celene Pillay of Mocha Street, Laudium, on an early Friday morning at around 1:30am.
Celene told the Laudium Sun, “The theft occurred early Friday morning at around 1:30 am while my family and I were inside the house, sleeping. It was only when we got up later in the morning, that we realised that the gas tank was missing. When we enquired from our neighbours if they had seen or heard anything suspicious during the night, one of my neighbours said that they heard some suspicious noise at around 1:30am, so we suspect that the thief or thieves came to steal the gas tank at that time. I suspect that a certain nyaope who has been watching our house and has previously stolen our belongings, is the one who stole the gas tank. The gas tank was kept on our veranda and it seems that the thief jumped over the front gate, gained access to the veranda and stole the tank without being noticed. This is very concerning because many of us have experienced similar incidents of theft on our street before and it feels like crime is becoming more frequent in our area. Our street is becoming very dangerous. Imagine, we cannot even keep items on our own veranda without the fear of these being stolen. The situation is becoming too unsafe as these criminals have become so bold, entering private properties without hesitation. I also believe that the thief is someone familiar to us because we have dogs and they did not bark at all during the incident, which suggests that they may be familiar with the thief. There are many problems on our street, including the sale of drugs and thefts and it is disappointing that these issues are not being addressed. Neither the ANC Ward Councillor nor the CPF seems to be raising enough concern about the drug problem and the increasing crime on Mocha Street and surrounding areas, with the police and higher authorities. As a community, we cannot remain silent any longer and we must stand together to address these challenges. We need to fight for our safety because we cannot continue living in a community affected by drugs, crime and violence. We want and deserve a peaceful environment for our children and for future generations.”
Madivan Chetty of Mocha Street, told the Laudium Sun, “This ongoing crime on our street is a really traumatizing situation with homeowners unable to keep their belongings either inside their houses or in their yards, without fear of these being stolen. In the older days, we used to keep our doors wide open and there was no need for strict security measures like locking gates or doors because we all lived in peace and harmony. Most importantly, there was trust among neighbours and everyone felt safe within the community. Nowadays, it is completely different. Forget about leaving your main door open, you cannot even leave your front gate open because you do not know if thugs or thieves might enter to steal or even harm you or your family. This place was once very peaceful, but over time, Laudium has gone from bad to worse. Criminal activities have increased and it feels as though criminals have taken over the area. People from outside now view Laudium as a place dominated by crime, which is deeply concerning for those who have lived here for many years and witnessed the change. The sense of safety that once defined this community has been replaced by fear and uncertainty and residents are constantly worried about their security and the safety of their families. If crime is to be stopped, then the community must take a stand and work together to fight against it, as clearly we cannot depend on our police, the CPF or the ANC politicians. There needs to be unity among residents to address these issues and protect our neighbourhoods from further decline. Depending entirely on law enforcement does not seem to be an option anymore as there is little to no visible law enforcement presence in Laudium, resulting in many residents not even bothering to report incidents of crime to the police. This lack of action only encourages more criminal behaviour and makes the situation worse, as criminals act without any fear of consequence.”
Vishnu Singh, also of Mocha Street, told the Laudium Sun, “It is important for the community to come together, raise their voices and take the initiative to bring back the peace and safety that once existed. We cannot depend on the police and the ANC Government to protect us. Residents deserve to live in a secure environment where they do not have to constantly worry about crime and where children can grow up without fear.”