Refuse removal services in Carletonville were disrupted when one of Merafong City Local Municipality’s rubbish trucks got stuck in the subsidence at the cul-de-sac in Umkumaas Street on 23 May this year.
By Monday, it had still not been attended to.
Even worse, there are currently no warning signs notifying motorists to watch out for the sinkhole as they come around the bend. Although the municipality previously placed a heap of sand in the road to try and cordon it off, it has since washed away.
“It is probably just a matter of time before another accident happens here.
“No one can see the sinkhole at night because the street light is not working,” complains one of the cul-de-sac residents.
The residents are also concerned about another subsidence that has started to appear just metres from the current sinkhole. They say this subsidence is very similar to the one that developed before the other sinkhole caved in.
If another sinkhole caves in on this street, there will be nowhere for vehicles to drive.
Although maps identify the cul-de-sac as part of Umkumaas Street, it is a remnant of Caledon Street. Other houses were demolished there decades ago, also due to sinkholes. This shows that the area is particularly prone to ground stability issues.
The municipality said earlier this year it did not have the money to fix the sinkhole and that the mines would have to help. It did not reply to questions about the matter on Tuesday.
