Centurion’s sinkhole problem digs deeper hole in city’s pockets

A third sinkhole formed in Centurion last week – one of an estimated 50 that the city did not have the budget to fix.

About 25 households of Lyttleton Manor in Centurion were locked in their area on Friday after a huge new sinkhole formed overnight at the corner of Burger Avenue and Langerbrink Road.

City of Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the sinkhole currently measured at approximately 40m in diameter and 3.5m in depth.

“The sinkhole remains unstable and active and therefore the area has been cordoned off and would be closed to all traffic until further notice,” Mashigo said.

Water supply affected

The sinkhole has affected critical underground infrastructure, including water supply lines. As a precaution, water supply to the area has been temporarily shut off in parts of Lyttleton Manor, Kloofsig and the Lyttleton Manor Extension 6 industrial area.

Earlier this year, the city said that R14.5 million had been allocated during the current financial year to repair nine small and low-priority sinkholes and in March, Mashigo said there were no emergency funds allocated for sinkholes.

A concerned resident who declined to be named, said the water and power were restored in the early hours of Saturday.

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A sinkhole problem

The sinkhole was bigger when he left for work yesterday after work was done on Sunday.

“On Sunday, they were changing water pipes. We had a water tank to provide us with water in the meantime,” he said.

The residents said they were waiting for feedback on the restoration of the road. This is the third massive sinkhole in Centurion this year, after two developed in Lyttleton in February – one on the corner of Trichardt and Van Riebeeck Street in Lyttleton and another on DF Malan Road.

Lyttleton councillor Johan van Buuren said he had four sinkholes in his area, two old ones and two that formed earlier this year. “No further work has been done on any of them,” he said.

Residents foot the bill

While the City of Tshwane was out fixing a hole here and there, more complaints flooded in, with some residents saying a hole they had reported last year was still unrepaired.

Margaret Brown, who lives in Centurion, said she reported the pothole on the main road in and out is Apiesdoring Drive before Christmas. To date, nothing has been done about them.

Shirley Becker said she lost a tyre and rim due to a pothole in Pretorius Street and had to fork out R3 000 to repair the damage, while Paula Calitz said a pothole in Botha Avenue cost her R60 000 in repairs last year.

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