Resident baffled as another dustbin bites the dust…..

Resident baffled as another dustbin bites the dust…..

The theft of dustbins in the Laudium area continues, despite pleas from the community for police to be more vigilant when patrolling the streets and probe all those seen wheeling bins away.
Besides the inconvenience and frustration of losing a dustbin, residents also have to face much red tape and further headaches, in trying to obtain a replacement from the Council, despite them pledging to replace stolen dustbins after residents submit an affidavit that their bin has been stolen.
Jewel Street resident, Yasmin Hassim, told the Laudium Sun, “Every Wednesday, our bins are collected and emptied by the Council, so as usual I put our bin outside our yard in the morning and was to bring it back in at around 11am. But last Wednesday, I was busy with some household chores and went out to fetch my bin about an hour later, around midday. In any event we are not sure exactly what time the bins are emptied. However, I was shocked when I went out and could not find our bin. I checked outside both neighbor’s homes thinking that the bin was perhaps mistakenly left there. I even checked opposite our house, but it was nowhere to be found. Our dustbin was marked on three sides, so no one could have taken it accidentally. Besides, there was no other bin outside or near our home. It was definitely intentionally stolen. One of my neighbors told me that he saw the garbage collector taking my dustbin, and leaving with it, and that these garbage collectors are working with the nyaope guys in stealing dustbins. Now, I don’t know what to do. I did not go and apply for a replacement at the Council offices as we have a pandemic and I don’t want to go out unnecessarily. Besides, I heard it is a lengthy process to get a replacement and also it takes a while before the bin is replaced, that is, if the Council does replace it. Now, a few of our garbage bags are full already and we are forced to keep these in our yard, which is so unhealthy and unhygienic. How can we live like this? Just because someone decided to steal our bin, we have to go through all this inconvenience. Something must be done by the police to protect our property and prevent the stealing of dustbins. We don’t know what else to do, besides clearly marking our bins and bringing them in around midday, as we are not sure what time exactly our bins are emptied.”
Sergeant Simon Chokoe, said, “A case of dustbin theft has been reported to the police, and an investigation is under way. No arrests have been made yet. I urge anyone who might have any information or might have seen the dustbin, to come forward and assist us to bring these culprits to book. Working together we can do more to fight crime.”

The house on Jewel Street outside which a dustbin was stolen.