With more and more top police generals being implicated in serious criminal activities, South Africans are fast realizing that many of the police officers who are meant to protect them are actually part of the criminal networks.
Thus reliance on the SAPS for protection is fast becoming a myth, with police seemingly less and less interested in serving and protecting the community. This follows yet more incidents of crime reported to the Laudium Sun for stats purposes, as police refuse to give weekly or even monthly stats of crime in the Laudium/Erasmia area.
In one of the reports received, another home in Erasmia was burgled while the homeowner and his family were away for a mere hour. The break-in which took place the previous Saturday evening at around 7pm, at a home on Fortuna Street, saw three thieves (captured on CCTV footage), ransacking the house and walking away with cash, an HP laptop, an iPad, branded clothes and jewelry. When the Laudium Sun visited the scene of the crime, the homeowner was unavailable. However a security guard at the house was interviewed.
Kitenga Julas, the security guard from Cops Tactical, told the Laudium Sun, “I have just been posted at this house, after the break-in. There was no security guard stationed here before. From what I was informed by the owner, there were three Black thieves who broke into the house and they were on foot when they arrived. The three thieves forced open the front door and managed to gain entry into the house without being noticed at the time. Once inside, they searched the house for valuables and stole a number of items, including an undisclosed amount of cash, jewelry, branded clothes, a laptop, and an iPad. After committing the crime, the thieves fled the scene on foot. The owner later reviewed the CCTV footage installed at the property and it clearly showed that there were three thieves involved in the break-in. The footage also confirmed that the thieves arrived on foot and that the time of their entry into the house was at approximately 7:10pm. At the time of the incident, the owner was not at home, as he had gone out with his family at around 6:30pm. They only returned at approximately 7:30pm. Upon their return, they discovered that the home had been broken into and that several items had been stolen. It was a very disturbing and upsetting situation for the family to come back to, after about an hour out, finding their
home in a compromised state and many of their belongings missing. I just hope that the police will conduct a thorough investigation and through available evidence, including the CCTV footage, the culprits will be apprehended and that the stolen items can be recovered and returned to the owner.”
Muna Ahmed of Fortuna Street, told the Laudium Sun, “I heard about the burglary through the WhatsApp groups. It is really frustrating because we want to hear positive developments for the community, instead we are constantly faced with disturbing updates of crime almost every day. It creates a sense of unease and disappointment, especially when people are trying to live peacefully and feel secure in their own surroundings. The frequency of these criminal incidents is becoming overwhelming and it feels as though there is no real improvement or change taking place to keep our area secured, despite all the discussions happening on the community platforms. I am tired of the high level of crime occurring in our area and the surrounding neighbourhoods. What makes it worse is the lack of visible protection or reassurance from the SAPS or even from the local CPF structures that are meant to protect and support residents. It becomes extremely discouraging when there is no sense of accountability or effective response, leaving people to feel as though they are completely on their own without any proper support system in place. The situation creates anxiety and fear among residents, especially families who just want to feel safe in their own homes.”
Zahara Mohammed, also of Fortuna Street, told the Laudium Sun, “There are constant updates in every sector WhatsApp group, where messages circulate about suspects being caught or possible leads being identified, but when it comes to actual results and meaningful action, nothing seems to materialise. Instead, what continues to happen are more incidents of burglary, theft, and robbery, affecting innocent people who are simply going about their daily lives. After each incident, the only follow-up communication that comes through is a general message advising residents to remain cautious and alert, which does not address the root of the problem or provide any real solution. It feels as though the situation has turned into a cycle where incidents occur, messages are shared and warnings are repeated, but no lasting change is seen. This creates a sense of frustration and disbelief, as it seems like the community is stuck in a pattern without progress. Living under these circumstances makes it difficult to trust that anything will improve, and it gives the impression that people are left to fend for themselves. At times, it even feels like the seriousness of the situation is not being handled with the urgency it deserves by the police and the politicians and this leaves residents feeling helpless and unheard.”