It is unfortunate that thieves continue to steal from homes in Laudium, be it during broad daylight or at night, without any fear of being caught by the community or the police.
Of great concern is the influx of unemployed youth coming into the Laudium area at an alarmingly high rate, seeking either work or food and money. Some of these youths unfortunately turn to drugs and then crime, to be able to buy drugs, which they become dependent on. As the police alone cannot be relied on, to protect the community, residents are urged to be more vigilant of their surroundings and to take the necessary lawful steps to protect themselves and their property.
In one of the recent incidents of theft apparently committed by a nyaope, a Turquoise resident was surprised to discover that his property had been entered into, last Sunday evening at around 9pm. Owner, Jaya Moodley who was at home at the time of the incident told the Laudium Sun, “I was sitting in my lounge, relaxing and having a cup of tea whilst watching my Sunday evening movies. Just then, I heard sounds like someone was walking through our yard. So, I checked from my window but I didn’t see anyone and all looked fine. However, about half an hour later, I kept hearing a sound as if someone was trying to open something in the yard. I then looked through my lounge window, but couldn’t see anyone, so I opened the front door and just then, I saw someone wearing cream colour clothing, run out of my yard really fast, with copper pipes in his hand. I tried running after him, hoping to catch him, but he was too last and ran right down 19th Ave. I then rushed back home and called the Laudium Police, who I must say responded in a short while, which I am thankful for. I went with them into the yard and found my garage door open. My new copper pipes that were in the garage, were all missing. I am busy doing some renovations at my house and thus kept building material in the garage. The thief or thieves, I am not sure how many of them were here, because I only saw one running away, managed to open the garage door with a piece of wood. I then asked the police if we could just take a drive down to Whiteblocks to have a look near the graveyard, where these nyaope guys normally sit. In my luck, I met one of the nyaope boys who normally does some casual work for me and he explained to us where many of the guys would sit, but he wished to remain anonymous and did not want to come with us there. When we got to the white house, on the corner of Umber and Green Streets, which is an abandoned house where many of these nyaopes stay, we found many nyaopes there. I managed to identify the nyaope who I saw running out of my yard, by the clothing he was wearing. At first he denied having any knowledge of the copper pipes, but when the police threatened to arrest him, he confessed to stealing the pipes and selling it to a nearby resident. When we approached the resident, he denied buying the pipes and unfortunately the police were not prepared to search his house. The nyaope guy was arrested and I opened a case. I am waiting for the police to let me know when the guy will appear in court. It is time that we, as law-abiding residents, stand united and make sure that these criminals are prosecuted, even if they steal small items. Also, we need to expose those who are buying these stolen items.”
Sgt Simon Chokoe of the Laudium Police confirmed that a suspect had been arrested, adding “we suspect that he was involved in many other cases and are investigating that.”
