With the festive season soon approaching, it is once more evident that robberies are on the increase all over the country, with the area of Centurion and Laudium in particular, being no exception.
In Laudium and neighbouring areas, there have been a number of armed robberies reported over the past week, with the latest being the BP garage in Eldoglen, on Wednesday night. According to reports, a number of armed thugs entered the BP store, threatened staff members to open the tills and even managed to force open a safe. CCTV footage clearly showed the thugs, who were wearing face masks and hand gloves, ordering staff around, pointing guns at them and even making them lay down. (see video footage on the Laudium Sun FB Page). In Laudium also, a number of attacks by armed thugs have taken place recently, with one of the latest incidents taking place this past Tuesday evening (Nov 15), on Bengal Str, Laudium Ext 3. The victim was none other than community activist, Nicoleen Delawala, who serves on the Laudium CPF Exco. Ironically, Nicoleen had just returned from a CPF meeting, to discuss strategies as to how the CPF could play a more meaningful role in the fight against crime, in the area. Nicoleen explained further to the Laudium Sun, the events that unfolded on Tuesday evening. “I had just got back from a CPF meeting at around 19:45. After parking my car in my yard, my husband came out before I could even get into the house, telling me that I should immediately walk with him to my cousin’s house, which is a few houses away, as there were some cars outside and he was worried that something may have happened there. We both then walked down, but just when we got there, we found my cousin outside as he was smoking outside his yard, on the pavement. My cousin told us, when we enquired why there were a few cars outside his house, that there was no problem and that some family members just came to visit. Not even a minute later, whilst speaking to my cousin, we saw a red Toyota Tazz with tinted windows coming up the road. The Toyota stopped right by us and the next thing, we saw the car doors flying open, with two black guys jumping out and another two, including the driver still in the car. Whilst the two were still jumping out, I immediately ran up the street towards my house screaming for the neighbours to help. When I turned around to see what was happening, I saw these two thugs pointing guns at my husband and my cousin. They then demanded that both of them hand over their money and cellphones. Even after my husband and my cousin handed these over to them, the thugs searched them, to make sure that they had nothing else of value in their pockets. My husband had his driver’s license, some cash and his bank cards, in his wallet. The thugs then drove away down Bengal Street towards Laudium. I suspect that these thugs were from Itireleng. We are all so traumatised by this incident. I truly sympathise with residents who have fallen victim to crime, as I have had first hand experience now. I know the horrible feeling, seeing a thug pointing a gun at your husband and threatening to shoot. I have already spoken to our Chairperson to look at providing counselling for victims of crime in our area, as part of our CPF initiative.”
The Laudium Sun also spoke to Shakeel Bhaktawer of the Councillor’s office who said, “I received a call from the CPF Chairperson, with regards to one of their member’s husband being robbed on Bengal Street. I was in the area because there were street lights being repaired. When I got to the scene, I saw a lot of security vehicles and neighbours from the area, at Nicoleen’s house. I also met Shaheen Wahab, the CPF Chairperson and some members of the CPF there. Although police and the security patrollers were asked to look out for the Tazz that was involved in the robbery, the car was not spotted.”
Sergeant Simon Chokoe of the Laudium Police said, “The Laudium Police are investigating a case of armed robbery that happened on Tuesday 2022-11-15 evening on Bengal Street, Laudium. It is alleged that the victim was outside his residential address on Bengal Street, when two unknown African males jumped out of a red Toyota Tazz, registration number unknown, stopped in front of his yard, both armed with firearms. The suspects approached the victim, pointed him with firearms and started searching him. A cellphone and an undisclosed amount of money was taken. No shots were fired and no one was reported injured. No one has been arrested yet. The South African Police Service is 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.”
