Another violent robbery, another housewife beaten up and children traumatized, an incident which will unfortunately soon be forgotten by many in the community and will just add to the crime stats. It is unfortunate that whilst crime in the Laudium and Erasmia area has not just increased, but has become more violent, with thugs becoming more desperate and vicious, having no mercy on their victims, police are clearly failing the community in serving and protecting them. At the same time, despite more private security patrollers being on the streets, this certainly does not seem to have deterred criminals from pouncing on innocent and vulnerable members of the community.
It does not help much that after the crime has occurred, some of the “boastful” security companies, (certainly not all of them) still have the audacity to post on social media that they are at the crime scene and even post photos of the crime scene. Perhaps it is time that these ‘glory seeking’ security companies should also be called to account, as to how they have assisted in bringing crime down in the area. They should also be questioned as to how many arrests and convictions they have assisted with, to get criminals behind bars. The Laudium Sun has reported many times of criminals who had been arrested by certain glorified security officials, only to be let out soon thereafter, as the very same security officials refuse to give sworn affidavits as to the involvement of the criminals or even testify in court. It should also be questioned if the partnership between police and the community is effective and whether the needs and concerns of the community are being adequately addressed via the CPF forum, as the community is kept in the dark concerning outcomes of meetings. In one of the latest incidents of violent crime, a medical doctor’s family was attacked whilst he was on his rounds doing house calls, assisting his patients in the area. This is now the second time that the home of Dr Abdul Kader Omar was attacked by thugs. This time, armed thugs entered the Dr’s home, on the corner of 5th Ave and Jewel Street (opposite the Jewel Str Mosque) this past Monday evening (December 6) at around 8:30pm. They accosted the Dr’s wife, her two kids and her sister-in-law. It is believed that the thugs knew about money being kept at the house, as when the Dr’s wife gave them some money and jewellery, they were not satisfied and beat her up, threatening to shoot her, if she did not take them upstairs to the room where the safe was kept. They also kept asking her where her doctor husband was. Ahmed Muhammad, who stays a few houses away from Dr Kader’s home, told the Laudium Sun, “This is becoming a terrible trend. Over the past few days, two houses in the area have been robbed by armed thugs and both belong to doctors. The first one was that of Dr Abdully Sakoor Carim on 5th Ave, last Wednesday. I am not sure if the thugs deliberately attacked these two homes, knowing they were owned by doctors or, if it was just a coincidence. When they attacked the home of Dr Kader on Monday night, apparently the front gate was left unlocked by one of the domestic workers. The thugs hit the wife with a gun, and then ransacked the house. Besides cash, they also stole laptops, cellphones and other valuables like jewellery. Crime is too rife and it is very scary to live on this street. There is a guard opposite by the Mosque and it was prayer time, so I just cannot understand how come no one noticed anything strange happening. I believe that the gang got away in a car that was waiting for them.” Proactive Security guard, Naledi Seanego who is stationed at the Mosque, said, “I was not on duty that night, but I heard these guys, about six of them, had been going up and down the whole day with a car, before the night of the robbery. The doctor has around five house maids. Two of them, at around 6:00 that night, went to buy something at the shops, but when they came back, it appears they did not lock the gate. That is how the criminals came into the yard, without a struggle to break the gate lock. And, the same day, someone said he saw one of the maid’s communicating with someone outside and throwing something out from the balcony. We are not sure if it was keys or something else. It seems to me that this was an inside job, just like the one a few days back, also of a doctor and nearby on the same street.”
Sergeant Simon Chokoe, of the Laudium SAPS, said, “Police in Laudium are investigating a case of house robbery. It is alleged that the victim was in the house watching television with her children at her place of residence, when two unknown males, both armed with firearms wearing masks entered the house, pointed them with firearms and demanded money. The suspects grabbed the victims’ cellphones and took the victim with while ransacking the house. It is further alleged that the suspects took all five domestic workers’ cellphones and pushed them into the bathroom, locking them inside, while another four suspects were searching the house. One of the suspects assaulted the victim asking her where her husband was. A total of twelve (12) cellphones, three laptops, a small money safe, an undisclosed amount of money and two diamond bracelets were taken from the house. The suspects fled the scene on foot. No shots were fired. No one has been arrested yet. Police are pleading to anyone with information which might lead to the arrest of the suspects to contact the SAPS on 0860010111 or contact the local police station. Police are further urging the community to report any suspicious motor vehicle or persons to the police without fear. Together we can create a safer community.”
