Whilst many residents were exchanging roses, bouquets and gifts with their dear ones on Valentine’s Day, heartless criminals were prowling the streets of Laudium, armed and looking for vulnerable prey to attack.
This past Sunday (February 14) was certainly no romantic day for local resident, Pakistani national, Atif Shazad (32), of Emerald Street. The businessman told the Laudium Sun, “On Sunday afternoon after closing my shop in Mabopane, I went home and thereafter I walked to visit my friend at Himalaya flats, on Bengal Street. After chatting with him for a while, I decided to get back to my home on Emerald Street, before it got dark. As I had to walk back home and knew it was dangerous to walk at night, especially at the pedestrian bridge linking Laudium and the extensions, I hurriedly left. So, I left my friend just before 7pm and crossed the bridge from Agra Str (East) going into 8th Ave. However, when I just got down the bridge and was about to walk towards Garnet Street, I was suddenly confronted by a black thug who appeared in front of me from nowhere. The thug was armed with a gun and he pointed it at me, as if he was about to shoot me. I was shocked and just hoping that my life would be spared. Then, whilst I was pleading with the guy to let me go, suddenly another two guys came from behind, with the one guy holding my arms and the other searching my pockets. The thug with the gun pointing at me, warned me not to scream or resist, otherwise he would shoot me. They took all the money I had in my pocket and also my Samsung S6H. They then ran down towards Military road. One of the guys looked like a local who often hangs around the CBD. They did not look like foreigners. It is really terrifying to live in Laudium, as it seems crime is a norm in the area. Every week the Laudium Sun reports about the crime in Laudium, but I did not think that I would be a victim, after living in the area for many years. It seems that the community and the country have accepted that South Africa is one of the most crime infested countries in the world, so we should just pray that we do not get hurt when being attacked. We are not free in this country,” Atif concluded dejectedly.
Sergeant Simon Chokoe, of the Laudium SAPS, said, “A case of armed robbery has been opened, where it is alleged that three males robbed a local person at gun point. They took money and a cellphone. The case is under investigation. The community is urged to share information with the police that might help in bringing these culprits to justice. Working together we can do more to end crime in our community.”
