Seven months after a sinkhole appeared in a Sheffield Beach road, authorities remain deadlocked over who should fix it.

The sinkhole, caused by heavy rains and a burst pipe in April, has continued to erode Barrier Lane which is the only access to The Village complex. Since then, the road has deteriorated, while KwaDukuza municipality (KDM) and Siza Water argue over responsibility.

At a Ward 22 public meeting at Salt Rock Library on September 30, ward councillor Privi Makhan confirmed no agreement had been reached.

“There’s ongoing dialogue between Siza and the municipality to decide who takes responsibility for the road,” she said.

“I am putting pressure on KDM’s civil engineering unit to resolve this issue.”

Makhan said Siza had secured its infrastructure and commissioned a stormwater flow report, but no repair timeline has been confirmed.

“Siza agreed to take care of their portion and secure their infrastructure, but they don’t build roads,” she added.

The KZN Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) has issued two notices to both entities due to environmental concerns, including a sewer line beneath the road that could be exposed if the collapse worsens. The EDTEA had not responded at the time of publication.

Village complex manager Allen Malyon is frustrated: “Absolutely nothing is happening. The rains have started, and the road is eroding. What if someone dies? Who will be held responsible?”

KDM spokesperson Sifiso Zulu said KDM had approached Siza to either fix the road or allow the municipality to do it on their behalf.

Siza Water operations manager, Kobus Fourie, confirmed they have almost finished securing their infrastructure, complying with the environmental notice, and that they have shared their report with the municipality. They do not, however, know the time frame for KDM repairing the road.

“Siza employed engineers to establish the root cause and the report was shared with KDM,” said Fourie.

“Siza was asked to secure the water and sewer services to stop contamination. This was done directly after we became aware of the damage. We are now in the planning process to secure the pipes permanently, independent of whether the road and stormwater will be repaired or not.”

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