Family fears grow as sinkhole repairs remain pending
A family forced to abandon their home after a sinkhole damaged their property is still waiting for permanent repairs, with the metro confirming no budget has yet been allocated for the project.
A family living in their home in Letswalo Street, Atteridgeville, continues to live in fear as cracks in and around the property remain unchanged and no repairs have begun months after a sinkhole opened in the yard.
The family of five previously appealed to the Tshwane Metro for urgent intervention after the ground in their yard collapsed following heavy rainfall in March, leaving their home unsafe.
A family member, Mahlodi Mankga, said the sinkhole caused severe cracks in the street, which has since been closed off, preventing vehicles from accessing their yard.
“There are cracks in the house. We can’t sleep in the house out of fear, so we use the outside room,” she said.
Photo: Supplied
Tshwane metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said no further structural or geotechnical assessment has been conducted since the initial inspection after the heavy rains in March 2026.
According to him, a further assessment was not considered necessary because officials had already recommended that the house be evacuated due to safety concerns.
“The sinkhole and surrounding ground cracks reached their full extent following the heavy rainfall in March 2026, and that no additional expansion has been recorded since then,” he said.
Photo: Supplied
Mashigo said the incident has been placed on the municipality’s sinkhole priority list for geological investigations and permanent repairs.
However, he added that the implementation of the repairs is subject to the availability of funding.
“At this stage, no budget has been allocated for repairs, meaning there is no confirmed date for when work will begin,” he said.
Mashigo said the site will continue to be monitored, particularly before and during the rainy season, and urged residents to report any new signs of ground movement or cracking so that appropriate assessments can be carried out promptly.
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