Angry residents in Khutsong Ext 3 have forced a municipal contractor to stop closing a dangerous sinkhole, claiming the repair was a “botched job.”

The community took action this week at the site across from Hlanganani Primary School after they caught the contractor attempting to fill the hole while a sewage pipe inside was still broken and leaking.

The sinkhole first reappeared in February when a manhole collapsed, less than a year after a R6m repair project was supposedly completed.

This follows a previous scandal involving nearly R5m allegedly paid for unfinished work at the same spot, a matter that has been under investigation since October 2024.

Resident Thabo Klaas said he and others became suspicious when they saw the contractor arrive at 05:00 on April 22, noting that such workers rarely start so early.

“He wanted to close the sinkhole, but the sewerage pipe inside was still broken and leaking. We told him to stop until the pipe has been fixed,” says Klaas.

The community members also demanded to see the geologist’s report showing that the ground was stable enough for repairs to continue.

This was the second time this month the community had to intervene, having previously chased the contractor away on April 10 for similar reasons.

Public frustration has been further fuelled by the appearance of new cracks and sinking ground at another manhole across the street, which was also worked on by the same contractor last year. Residents are also upset that the road damage caused during last year’s work was never repaired.

Klaas says that their ward councillor and the project’s community liaison officer (CLO) met them later in the week and said the action had taken place because of a miscommunication.

“Apparently, the driver was supposed to go and fill up another sinkhole. We do not believe this, as it was the same driver that we had chased away previously. By now, he must know this site well,” says Klaas.

Many believe the sinkhole keeps collapsing because it was filled last year without the internal pipes being fixed properly.

Although the Herald contacted the Merafong City Local Municipality’s Marketing and Communications Manager Temba Fezani, no feedback was received from the municipality by the time of publication.