Local residents continue to live in fear, as crime continues unabated, with criminals entering homes audaciously, be it in broad daylight or at night. Residents say that the increase of seemingly unemployed people walking the streets, pretending to be looking for money to buy food, are those who are behind the crimes, in most cases.
This follows a local woman being caught by complete surprise, when she returned from town to her Taj Street home, last Tuesday at around 4:30 that afternoon.
Kamila Babamia, explained to the Laudium Sun the events that transpired that afternoon at her home, which caused her not only undue stress but have left her living in fear since then, “I had just returned from town and as I approached my gate, I saw some guy inside my yard, who was standing near our other car in the yard. I immediately climbed out of my vehicle, leaving it outside the gate and rushed into my yard to confront the guy. I did not, at that moment, even think of my life being at risk, as the guy could have been armed or even may have had accomplices in the yard. When the guy saw me running into the yard, he stood calmly next to our other car and smirked at me in a cool manner. I asked him what he was doing in my yard and how he got in. As I was talking to him, I notified our neighbourhood watch of a problem in my yard. The guy told me that he was the new gardener. I asked as to how he could be the gardener, when I was the owner and I did not hire him or even know him. I, however, kept my cool and carried on talking to him instead of confronting him, as I was waiting for the arrival of help. Then, he changed his story and told me that I misunderstood him and that in fact he was waiting for my gardener who was his friend. Just then a security car passed by slowly, and the guy jumped onto my rooftop and ran towards Himalaya Street. I was terrified and ran after the security car and told them of my ordeal. The security patroller chased the guy and fortunately managed to catch him. I then realised that my front gate had been forced open by breaking open the lock. Part of my gate was also damaged by this guy. The door handle of the car in the yard was also damaged. I am not sure if that guy was planning to steal our car or to steal things from inside it. It is so scary that these thieves can so easily break open our gates and just walk in without any fear.” In the mix of things, Kamila suffered additional damage to her property. When she jumped out of her car to confront the thief in her yard, Kamila apparently did not put her car into gear, and it rolled down towards her neighbour’s yard, damaging her car and the neighbour’s wall and fencing.
Neighbour, Feroza Muhammad told the Laudium Sun, “Whilst my neighbour was stressed out after finding a thief in her yard, unfortunately an additional problem occurred, in that one of the cars of my neighbour that was parked outside her home rolled down towards my property hitting my wall”.
Prajay Ramjee, manager at PAJ Security, said, “Whilst on routine patrol, our R001 patrol vehicle was stopped by a Taj Street resident, close to 37th Avenue: They explained that a suspect was trying to escape via their rooftop. Our response officer, Musa, saw the suspect escape via Himalaya Street, then chased and apprehended him close to Himalaya Street. The SAPS arrived shortly afterwards and took the suspect into custody. Our patrol vehicle sustained minor damage in the chase and the resident’s vehicle rolled into the neighbour’s wall. A case of Malicious Damage to Property has been opened at the Laudium SAPS, against the suspect, for damaging a vehicle’s door handle. It is unclear whether he wanted to steal the vehicle or break-in.”
