The Parliament’s Select Committee on Public Petitions and Executive Undertakings returned to Khutsong to inspect its sinkhole crisis, but the visit was met with anger from residents.

The visitors arrived on February 27. During the morning, the group visited various sites, including recent cave-ins in the veld across from Hlanganani Primary School and near the Teacher’s Quarters in Khayalethu Section.

They also visited locations such as Sompane Drive, where previous holes have already been filled.

The visit sparked a backlash from locals who claimed they were kept in the dark about the inspection.

“We are the petitioners, but no one informed us that the group would be coming here. Why does the municipality show them the sorted problems and not the new sinkholes caused by their mistakes?” an angry resident, Chucku Kerileng of Khutsong Ext 3, complained.

Signs of poor communication were evident among the officials themselves.

A top disaster management official admitted to the Herald that they were unaware of the new sinkhole near Hlanganani Primary School, despite it appearing around February 17.

This latest hole is particularly controversial as it formed on a pipeline that underwent a R6m repair project less than a year ago. The most recent “refurbishment” project follows a previous scandal in which almost R5m was allegedly paid for work at the same site that was never completed.