More than 98% of all sinkholes in South Africa are in Gauteng, and the problem appears to be deepening by the day.
Sinkholes around the City of Johannesburg are a growing concern as they pose a danger to communities and road users. They are a problem that should be treated with urgency and due diligence.
JRA spokesperson Mosa Makhalima said that research has revealed that certain parts of the ground surface of the country is prone to sudden catastrophic collapse, mostly known as sinkholes.
“A report that was published by the Council for Geoscience in 2011, revealed that there are 2 500 recorded sinkholes throughout the country with 98% of the sinkholes found in Gauteng. It should be noted that the number of sinkholes in Gauteng has increased since then.”
Makhalima added that Sinkholes don’t just happen.
Before sinkholes occur, they are triggered by the following primary events
- The leakage of water from leaking water-bearing services
- Poorly managed surface water drainage
- Groundwater level drawdown.
In Gauteng and around the City of Johannesburg area in particular, sinkholes have been found to be as a result of:
- Illegal mining
- Heavy rain fall.
Makhalima confirmed that sinkholes only fall under their scope when the road affected is managed by the JRA.
“Such a road is made safe for road users and the public through barricading the area and erecting visible signage that warns about the danger on the road.”
She said that JRA additionally warns the public about the development of sinkholes through press statements that they make available on the entity’s website and social media handles.
“It should be noted that the issue of sinkholes is an issue that affects all spheres of government and to best address the issue, all affected spheres of government should join forces and develop a strategy on the way forward.”
Asked if the JRA is managing in terms of budgets to fix the issue, the spokesperson said, “The JRA doesn’t have a set budget to address sinkholes. However, JRA acknowledges and addresses through barricading the affected parts of the road and warning road users.”
Makhalima urges residents to immediately report the existence of sinkholes to the relevant authorities, so that the issues can be addressed as quickly as possible, before any damage is done.
“We also encourage residents of the city to report all illegal mining activities.”
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