Councillor vows to act against escalated crime in Laudium

Escalated crime rate in Laudium, Pretoria, is being addressed with urgency, local councillor Mahomed Essop told Centurion Rekord.

Speaking to Centurion Rekord after two family members were murdered in a break-in on Brown Street last week, Essop said he had heard the residents’ cries and was taking up their concerns about crime with the relevant authorities.

The day after the murders, a Jewel Street business was also robbed.

READ MORE: Sunnyside, Laudium, Erasmia, named as the most dangerous suburbs in Tshwane

He said residents had listed their top “to-do” list to fight crime during a meeting with him last week.

“The community is crying out, saying crime in the area is too high.

“I forwarded their list to the regional economic director,” said Essop, adding the residents raised concerns about the dangers of vagrants making fires to cook in the veld.

He said he was in consultation with the local CPF and SAPS to deal with the specified crime and arranging to meet the appropriate authorities to deal with the other problems.

A man and his brother-in-law were killed during the Brown Street home robbery.

A resident who did not want to be named said the two robbers entered the home at about 2am.

“They accosted the man, his wife and their three children inside,” he said.

“They then shot the man three times in front of his family. When the neighbour and brother-in-law came to the house after hearing gunshots, he too was shot. Both men died.

“The brother in law leaves behind a six-month-old baby.”

The robbers stole a flat-screen television and two cellphones.

Laudium police spokesperson Constable Simon Chokoe said a case of house robbery and murder had been opened.

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