Vosloorus families left stranded 4 years after sinkholes destroyed their homes

Two families in Mfundo Park, Vosloorus, have accused the City of Ekurhuleni of failing to rehabilitate and rebuild their homes that were affected by dolomite sinkholes four years ago.

Members of both families told Kathorus MAIL that their homes were demolished by a construction company that was contracted by the City of Ekurhuleni after the municipality detected dolomite sinkholes in the area.

The two families describe how they were later relocated by the municipality after they were informed that the sinkholes posed a danger to their properties.

Alinah Masilela (40) said she lived in the house with her husband and other family members for more than 20 years before it was demolished.

“The disaster started after our home started sinking, and the walls cracked. This led to the doors inside not closing properly.

“We decided to report the matter to the municipality, and municipal officials later arrived to evaluate the damage. Thereafter, we were later moved to a rental house. Our house was demolished, and they informed us that it was going to be rebuilt, but since then, nothing has happened. We have been waiting for four years to return to our home,” said Masilela.

She said they’ve been left in limbo and they don’t know if the municipality will ever resolve their problem.

“The municipality has not given us updates about the developments regarding a resolution to the problem. What is frustrating us most is that we are not comfortable in the homes the city has rented for us. The municipality has not been consistent with the rental payments.

“They previously rented a house for us in Ext 8, Vosloorus, and we had to move out due to missed payments. We’ve been moved from one place to another and our furniture has also been affected in the process. We are not enjoying our privacy in these rented houses,” Masilela expressed.

Lindeni Sibiya (72), another owner of a property which was affected by the sinkhole, said they have been left hopeless as a family.

“We understand that the sinkholes posed danger to our lives, but now we are stressed out and frustrated because we have been living in rented properties for the past four years with no resolution to our problem.

“Our main problem now is that we are left in the dark, and we don’t know if we will ever return to our homes. There isn’t any work that has been done at our properties; they have been neglected,” Sibiya expressed.

She said she is pleading with the municipality to rebuild their houses or find them permanent homes.

“If they are encountering problems in resolving our matter, they should inform us, because we are affected by the situation,” Sibiya shared.

The City of Ekurhuleni spokesperson, Zweli Dlamini, responded by saying the vacant stands of the two demolished houses, which belong to the affected families, have been scheduled for an in-depth dolomite study.

“This investigation is critical to determine whether it’s safe to rebuild homes on the land or whether relocation to alternative land is required.

“Unfortunately, the study has been delayed due to the non-payment and delayed payment of invoices to the appointed specialist service providers. As a result, the necessary geotechnical assessments have not yet been conducted at the properties,” said Dlamini.

Dlamini added that while a desktop study has been considered as a temporary alternative, it will not provide the level of accuracy needed to make informed and safe decisions.

“The area is known for its high susceptibility to sinkhole formation, owing to the complex underground karst systems. This means the land remains at risk of further sinkhole development even after rehabilitation.

“We wish to emphasise that the dolomite study remains a priority, as it will guide whether rebuilding is feasible or whether permanent relocation to a safer ground is required.”