Pienaar community raises concerns about sinkhole

Community members and motorists say they fear for their lives as a sinkhole on the D1723 between Emoyeni and Lihawu (the Luphisi Main Road) continues to expand.

As heavy rain continues to wreak havoc in various parts of the province, the Pienaar community said the roads in the area are not receiving proper maintenance.

According to them, they have tried to raise their concerns to local leaders, but they have not received any assistance since February. As the sinkhole continues to expand, they questioned the durability of their roads.

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According to a community member who stays next to the road and who wishes to remain anonymous, it not safe for them and they do not understand why the road has been left unattended for so long.

“Some community members have tried to fill in the trench by building a small retaining wall, however, it seems it will not stop it from expanding. We do not know what to do any longer. The worst part about this is that it is not safe for us and our loved ones, since we need to use the road to get to our destinations.

“Every time it rains, it gets deeper and wider. It is only a matter of time before the road collapses completely. When you look from the top, it appears as if everything is fine, however, the bottom sand is being washed away. This road is hazardous for people who have to get home at night, because if you do not know that a section was washed away, you can easily fall inside the trench. There are people who work at the mall and they use the road daily. Something needs to be done about this sinkhole before someone dies.”

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The community member said the safety of the motorists and pedestrians was not their concern. “We have a house right next to the road that can get washed away too if a proper drain is not constructed.” Bongani Dhlamini, the spokesperson for the Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport, said,

“The department is aware of the condition of the road, hence the routine maintenance. Further than that, the department sent a contractor to do patchwork on the road. The community members chased the contractor away and demanded that the whole road be rehabilitated.” Dhlamini said the department is currently busy with the procurement processes for the project, and the appointed contractor will be on-site before the end of November. “

An assessment was conducted and we treat this project as an emergency because of shoulder erosion that might cause accidents. We also appeal to members of the community to work together with the department and to not stop routine road maintenance intervention until such time adequate budget is allocated to rehabilitate the whole road.”

When asked about warning signs to alert road users of the sinkhole, he said the department had placed some of these, however, they were removed or stolen, making the road section unsafe to motorists.