A pipe burst yesterday on Sasol Avenue and another this morning, this time on the corner of Sasol and Kwarts Street. The second incident in as many days caused a sinkhole to form, which collapsed and trapped a vehicle.

When the Middelburg Observer arrived at the scene, there were no municipal workers, no contractors, and no tape around the sinkhole.

There were two areas where the ground around the pipes had been dug open, with both pipes left exposed and no indication as to whether they had been repaired or inspected, or were still in the process of restoration.

Mr Brutus Sihlangu woke up this morning to once again find he had no water, he walked outside to find that the pipes had burst yet again, which is what he expected, but there was more than just the usual burst pipe. He was stunned to see that a massive sinkhole had formed and collapsed right outside his home.

Mr Sihlangu told the Middelburg Observer, “I am late for work because there is no water for me to wash. I have had so many days like this. I have had to replace my washing machine because of the mud coming out of the pipes. I didn’t break it, I didn’t fill the pipes with mud, I didn’t cause the pipes to burst, but I have to pay for the consequences.”

This follows another burst pipe on Helen Joseph Street in Dennesig, which caused a massive leak and left nearby residents without water for a day.

Steve Tshwete Local Municipality, why is this such a frequent issue, and why are contractors being used to resolve the problem and not the better-equipped, highly skilled, extensively trained municipal workers?

The Middelburg Observer reached out to the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality for comment, but they did not respond before publication.