Crime in the Laudium area seems to have increased recently, especially break-ins into residential and business properties. Desperate thieves are targeting anything they can get their hands on and are not sparing any home they see an opportunity to steal from, be it huge or small homes or businesses.
In one of the recent incidents of house break-ins, a home on Onyx Street was broken into last Wednesday. Kate Nare, of Itireleng, who often stays with her cousin, Alex Mabuda, the tenant of the house, told the Laudium Sun, “On Tuesday I went to visit Alex. I visit him often and many times I even sleep over there, as many of my clothes are also at his home.
So, on Tuesday I decided to stay over and on Wednesday morning we both got up early to get ready for work. We left together at around 7:00 in the morning, as Alex gave me a lift to my work in Marabastad in his white Hilux bakkie. Before we left, Alex made sure, as he usually does, that both the front and back doors and security gates were locked and all windows were closed, as we are both aware that crime is very high in Laudium. After work that day, I decided to go to my home in Itireleng. At around 6pm, I received a call from Alex. He was very stressed and told me the shocking news that his house had been burgled. I immediately went to his house. It was in a mess. The thieves threw everything out of the cupboards, probably searching for valuables. What I do not understand is that the area is very busy during the day as there are always people on the streets and sitting outside their houses. So how is it that no one saw anything suspicious on that day? I strongly believe that these youngsters who are on drugs broke in, so that they can feed their bad habits. Alex also has a tenant in the back yard, who saw nothing.” said Kate.
Alex told the Laudium Sun, “I got back from work at around 5:30pm. As I entered my yard, I noticed the front window of the lounge was broken. I immediately ran toward the house to see if anyone got in. As I got to the front door, I discovered that both the burglar gate and door were damaged and had been forced opened. When I got into my house I was shocked to find that criminals forcefully got into my house and burgled it. I immediately noticed that my TV in the lounge was missing. I also noticed that my radio was gone. I then ran upstairs to check my bedrooms. The cupboards were wide open and my clothes were laying all over the floor. I had saved up some cash over a period, which was also missing. I have opened a case with the
Police, but I am not sure if anything will happen with it”, the stressed victim said.
Sergeant Simon Chokoe of the Laudium Police confirmed that the case is under investigation, adding “We have noticed an increase of house burglaries lately and appeal to the community to be vigilant at all times”.
The house which Alex Mabuda rents on Onyx Street, Laudium, that was broken into last Wednesday.
