Laudium residents march to police station, demand removal of drug den near nursery

Residents of Laudium marched to their local police station to demand action after identifying a property they say is operating as a drug den and brothel within walking distance of the station and a nearby nursery. According to The Citizen, community members and DA Tshwane representatives handed a memorandum to police and urged authorities to clear the area of drugs and related crime.

Community protest and memorandum

According to The Citizen, DA Tshwane and concerned members of the community marched to the Laudium police station to highlight the suspected illegal drug den and brothel. Residents stood on street corners and watched marchers point out a property alleged to be a drug den and brothel metres away from the Laudium police station, The Citizen reported.

Voices from the neighbourhood

Longtime resident Manichean Mooloo told The Citizen the community now lives in fear.

“Waking up in Laudium, you never know what to expect,”

According to The Citizen, Mooloo said:

“Life can be good here at times, but now we live in a state of panic. We don’t even know where it is safe to park a car any more. We don’t even know if it is safe to go outside. Our houses have become our jails because we are too scared to go out.”

Political response and demands

According to The Citizen, DA ward 61 candidate Anil Paladh said the community had sent a clear message to police station management:

“the community will not condone drug use and lawlessness in Laudium.”

The Citizen reported that Paladh said they handed the memorandum to police and demanded the area be cleared of drugs and crime.

Local concerns

According to The Citizen, residents have pointed to the proximity of the alleged drug den and brothel to both the police station and a nursery when raising their concerns. The Citizen also reported that the marchers identified the property during the demonstration outside the station.

Ongoing community action

According to The Citizen, the demonstration and delivery of a memorandum reflect heightened local pressure on police to address drug-related activity and lawlessness in Laudium. The Citizen reported that DA Tshwane and community members organised the march to draw attention to the issue.