A BLUFF home hangs in the balance after torrential rains over the weekend caused a massive landslide to develop on King’s Rest Road on Sunday, 9 May.
Doris Magwaza, who stays on a property near the edge of the landslide,worries that this could only end in disaster if it is not resolved. “Every time it rains the embankment became unstable, of course this weekend’s weather was the straw that broke the camel’s back, causing a huge chunk of land to collapse,” said Magwaza.
According to the resident, they were told that the land would be reinforced last year but nothing has been done. “I am terrified of what would happen when this hole grows bigger, how it will affect us,” she added.
Fire officials responded to the incident on Sunday night. A source who preferred to rename unnamed, said residents who used to use the path to commute are affected as the landslide has cut right down the middle of the land, which is a thoroughfare. “It is a frightening sight, we were unable to bring our vehicles onto the affected land in case of further collapse,” he said.
Greg Williams from the city’s procurement and infrastructure department of engineering unit, said investigations need to be done on the site to see what caused the landslide and what steps they will have to take in order to secure the land. An engineer will be sent out by the department to do an evaluation of the land as soon as possible.
The landslide dumped hundreds of cubic tons of sand onto a Bayhead railway line, however comment could not be obtained from Transnet at the time of going to print.
Updates to follow
