Residents of Khayalethu Section in Khutsong are scared after two new sinkholes caved in there last week.
According to a resident who rode his bicycle past house No. 758 on the morning of Friday, 14 January, one of the wheels suddenly got stuck. Much to his horror, he rea- lised he had driven over a newly- formed sinkhole in the ground. He called for help and other residents pulled him and the bicycle out before the hole caved in further.
Two days later, another sinkhole collapsed a few metres further in the same street. By Monday afternoon, both the sinkholes were less than two metres in diameter but numerous cracks connected them. It seemed that both would soon be- come one huge hole. The sinkholes are situated where two streets intersect.
“We are very scared, especially when it rains. It worries us that it will soon rain again and we do not know when the rest of the ground, or even our houses, will fall in,” people living next to the sinkhole told the Herald.
On Monday morning, the Merafong City Local Municipality had closed the whole intersection off to vehicles. According to the residents, the three families closest to the sinkholes have been instructed to vacate their homes. As far as could be deter- mined, the municipality will move them to Extension 5.
Sinkholes are not new to this area. Several other houses lower down in the same street had to be evacuated because of another sub- sidence about five years ago. Some, lower down in the street, were demolished because of yet another sinkhole about ten years ago.
“There was another collapse in the same spot as these new ones in the 1990s,” a woman of the area told the Herald.
The residents are worried because the municipality does not seem to react to complaints of water leaks quickly enough. These are often the cause of sinkholes.
Some residents, especially those on the street past No. 692, now have to use an alternative route. As a large part of this street is in a poor condition, they fear their vehicles will be damaged.
When the Herald took the matter to the municipality on Tuesday, the spokesperson said Khutsong was dolomitic and leaking triggered the formation of sinkholes. “So far, four homes are being relocated. Regular inspections are being undertaken to check the progression of the incident.”
