Ekurhuleni residents call for urgent action on growing sinkhole crisis
Residents of Birchleigh in Ekurhuleni are demanding repairs to multiple sinkholes blamed on a failing stormwater system, saying their concerns have been ignored for years.
The ongoing issue of sinkholes in Ward 15 has sparked renewed frustration among residents, who say the CoE continues to ignore their pleas for intervention.
Clr Amanda Davison said the sinkholes, particularly those in Birchleigh, were the result of a collapsed stormwater system left unaddressed for years despite formal reporting, public complaints and multiple follow-ups.
“It is deeply disheartening that residents have had to live with this risk for so long.
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“This is not just a matter of inconvenience, it’s a safety hazard and a clear sign of how broken service delivery has become in Ekurhuleni,” said Davison.
Out of frustration, some residents have filled the sinkholes with rubble, bricks and garden waste. While these efforts are well-intentioned, Davison warned that they are damaging the already overburdened stormwater infrastructure and could make eventual repairs even more difficult.
Several identified key problem areas include outside Hoërskool Birchleigh, on the corner of Dikbas and Maroela streets, Essenwood Avenue, where sewage reportedly flows into the storm drain due to a constantly blocked pipe, the intersection of Ysterhout Avenue and Matumi Street and on Kwagga Street.
“Using hard debris like bricks and rubble is dangerous to road users, especially at night or during heavy rain when visibility is low,” Davison said.
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She noted that the matter was again raised at the April 14 Integrated Development Plan (IDP) meeting but received no clear commitment or timeline for action.
“I urgently call on the city to prioritise repairs to the stormwater system in this area and take proactive steps to prevent further infrastructure collapse,” she said.
Birchleigh resident Tracy Serfontein echoed these frustrations, saying the city had not repaired even one sinkhole in the suburb.
“The situation worsens every rainy season. Winter would be the perfect time to do the work, but nothing has been done,” said Serfontein.
“I’ve lost faith in the system. The horrific state of the Ysterhout/Matumi intersection is proof of this. The IDP is a wishlist, not a to-do list.”
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Serfontein added that the city had visited the area on February 7, accompanied by customer relationship manager Makhosazana Dhladhla, Clr Davison and herself and inspected the sinkholes firsthand.
“There was genuine shock during the site visit, but to my knowledge, no action or feedback followed,” she said.
Serfontein raised serious concerns about the Essenwood Avenue sinkhole, where raw sewage frequently overflows into the stormwater system.
“This is not only unhealthy but a serious environmental concern. Yet the city shows little regard for our rights to live in a clean and safe environment.”
She also criticised the city using social media to promote service delivery while little happens on the ground.
“They’re good at box-ticking online, but not at actually delivering services. We’re told to report illegal buildings and dumping, but nothing comes of it; inspectors don’t come out, and raw sewage is allowed to flow freely into the drains.”
According to Serfontein, the city has also failed to address the vandalised streetlights and repeated pipe bursts in the area.
“There has been zero development on the lights issue since 2020. Streetlights were stripped and taken, transformers removed, and to this day, nothing has been refurbished,” she said.
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Crime continues to rise, with many residents impacted by cable theft and sometimes paying over R1 700 to have their power restored.
Despite mounting complaints and evidence of decaying infrastructure, residents feel their concerns continue to fall on deaf ears.
When asked for comment, CoE spokesperson Zweli Dlamini confirmed that the Roads and Transport Department had committed to resolving the sinkhole on Shirley Street from July 30.
