According to one of the affected residents, Ms Mamelo Baas, the conditions in the part of Sompane Drive where they live are worsening at an alarming rate. The municipality has still not closed a huge open sinkhole that caved in on the other side of the street in 2019. About two weeks ago, another sinkhole caved in, right in the middle of the street. On 8 March, a cavity opened below the sidewalk underneath an electrical pole that used to stand about five metres high. This caused the pole to sag more than three metres into the ground. “The municipality told us to go to the new Extension 6 in Welverdiend. We refuse because their water leaks have caused these sinkholes. The houses they want to give us are tiny compared to what we have here,” says Baas. “Our houses are not cracking yet and we hope we can stay here until the municipality fills up the sink- holes. We have also heard from our former neighbours that the real owners of the houses they were moved into sometimes turn up. If the municipality moves us, they must give us the title deeds to those houses,” says Baas. She added, though, that, if they had to move, she and the owners of the other five houses affected by the latest sinkhole would prefer the municipality to move them into some of the houses that Sibanye-Stillwater donated to the municipality last year. Although the Herald asked the Merafong City Local Municipality about the issues on Tuesday, the spokesperson has not yet provided answers. Watch this video to get a better idea of what the sinkhole looks like: https://youtu.be/oQJ2M-nQk_g 
