Another manhole has begun collapsing opposite Hlanganani Primary School in Khutsong Ext 3, sparking fresh fears for children’s safety.

A concerned resident, Thabo Klaas, alerted the Herald on September 30 after noticing the damage. Residents discovered that the ground around the manhole and along the sewer pipeline was sagging, with a cavity stretching more than 10m towards the school.

Cracks indicated the site could cave in further, while sewage leaked continuously.

“We are really worried about the children as it looks as if the pipeline up the manhole next to the school might eventually fall in,” said Klaas.

By Monday, October 5, municipal workers or contractors had filled most of the hole but left an abandoned rolling vehicle behind. However, the leak and ground cracks persisted, and a trench had been dug to divert sewage into the veld.

Another resident, Thabang Buchingi, voiced concern that workers appeared to have merely dumped gravel on the cavity without uncovering the pipeline to fix the root cause. Meanwhile, sewage continued to flow down the road behind the school.

This latest failing pipeline lies less than 100m from another that collapsed in July. The Merafong City Local Municipality’s marketing and communications manager, Temba Fezani, did not respond to queries by press time regarding the nature of the repairs.