Khutsong sinkholes: Gravestones littered everywhere as cemetery on brink of being swallowed

Residents who reside in sinkhole-ridden areas in various parts of Gauteng are not only fearing for their safety but are also worried about the remains of their loved ones.

This follows the discovery of another sinkhole developing at a graveyard in Khutsong, Carletonville, in the west of the province.

Speaking to The Citizen on Wednesday, one of the residents of Khutsong Caseline Tlhapi said she and her husband are having sleepless nights after finding her mother-in-law’s grave caving in.

The deceased was buried in June this year.

“It is even more painful for my husband who is still dealing with the loss of his mother who died in her sleep and seeing the grave in the state that it is in is not easy at all.

“My sister-in-law went there (to the graveyard) on Wednesday and tried to fill it with soil but we will go again before the end of this week … it’s really painful,” Tlhapi said.

Watch: Sinkholes have formed on peoples doorsteps in Katlehong

Upon a visit to the area by The Citizen recently, the Merafong Local Municipality admitted that the rehabilitation of the area had been left too late.

Not only are several houses on the verge of being swallowed by sinkholes, there are also massive cracks in the tarred roads, making driving there almost impossible.

ALSO READ: Khutsong sinkholes: Municipality admits rehabilitation programme left too late

Gravestones littered everywhere

The Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng constituency head in Merafong, Ina Cilliers, says they conducted a site inspection visit to the cemetery early this week and they were shocked at what they discovered.

“We are deeply concerned that without immediate intervention, families will not be able to safeguard the remains of their family members and just being present at the site is posing danger as the sinkhole formation is unpredictable and may cause innocent bystanders to get injured.

“Broken and fallen over gravestones are littered everywhere, shattering the legacies of the persons they represent,” said Cilliers.

The heavy downpours in Gauteng in recent times – driven by the La Niña weather system – have also been exacerbating the already worrying sinkhole situation in the area.

Cilliers said the recent heavy rains have now caused the ground to sink in three graveyards.

“This community already bears intergenerational woundedness from living on dolomitic grounds.

“In Merafong more than R118 million from disaster funds have been spent to rehabilitate major sinkholes and we believe this could have been avoided with better planning and maintenance,” she said.

The situation is likely to worsen in the wake of further warnings by the South African Weather Service (Saws) of above-normal rainfall for the remainder of the current spring and coming summer seasons.

ALSO READ: Will Government be better prepared for heavy rains expected in coming month

Cilliers also blamed the lack of urgency in addressing the issue.

“Given the context of low growth, high crime, high costs, internal strife, sinkholes don’t rate high on the list,” Cilliers said.

Sinkholes to other parts of Gauteng

The Ekurhuleni metro says the fact that 52% of the metro is dolomitic should be worrying to residents.

According to spokesperson for the metro, Zweli Dlamini, some of the early signs of a sinkhole developing are: tilting of one side of a house, a slight sinking of the ground or unexplainable holes in people’s property.

“Sinkholes are caused mainly by stagnant water and constant water pipe leaks which result in underground erosion.

The city is replacing the old concrete pipes with more flexible pipes that can withstand the unstable ground. It is hoped this will prevent water pipes leaking.

“These pipes are able to move with the ground without breaking as the earth shifts for any reason,” Dlamini said.

Dlamini also called on residents to make use of professionals when building and extending their homes.

“Professionals will know how to navigate the building conditions, conduct land surveying and know fitting building material for specific land conditions.

“The public is also warned against accessing a cordoned off property as this may result in the loss of life,” Dlamini said.

He added there has not been any loss of life so far.

In the northern parts of the province, officials in Tshwane have been particularly concerned about Wierda Road over the N14 highway, where the road is sagging due to a developing sinkhole.

ALSO READ: Weather warning for residents as Gauteng hit by heavy rain and flooding