After the discovery of a sinkhole next to Rondebult Road recently, five more sinkholes have been identified along Heidelberg Road near Plantation Farm.
A portion of Heidelberg Road has been closed.
The discovery of the five sinkholes comes after the owner of Plantation Farm noticed them two weeks ago.
According to the metro spokesperson, Zweli Dlamini, their first step was to close the road to prevent casualties because the ground might not be stable.
“We are appealing to motorists to use alternative routes. The amount of damage caused by the sinkholes is not yet known, but there are ongoing investigations.
“As I have mentioned before, over 50% of the metro’s ground is dolomitic, so such sinkholes are bound to develop. We do have the manpower to deal with them because we have dealt with the one on Snake Road,” explained Dlamini.
He said that in 2010 they also moved the residents of Bapsfontein to the N12 informal settlement because of a sinkhole.
The owner of Plantation Farm and Meat Market, who asked to remain anonymous, said the road closure would affect his shop because most clients are motorists who use Heidelberg Road when they come to his market.
“We didn’t expect sinkholes to develop here. One of the sinkholes is on the road, and others are in the areas where we plant.
“My farming trucks and machines won’t be able to move as easily as before. I hope the metro will repair the potholes in time so that I can continue running my business efficiently.”
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