Sinkhole fight steps up after street collapse

Another major sinkhole has opened in Centurion, forcing the metro to close off part of Marthinus Street in Erasmia, and intensify its efforts to secure disaster classification for the crisis that continues to grip Region 4.

MMC for Corporate and Shared Services, Kholofelo Morodi, confirmed that the sinkhole began forming on September 22, and has already expanded to about 8m wide, 13m long, and 2m deep.

“The sinkhole is developing and is likely to increase in size and depth,” she said.

Morodi explained that it started as a small hole caused by a reportedly old, leaking water pipe but quickly grew in size.

Immediate safety measures were implemented, including repairing the water leak, relocating a streetlight pole, and closing off the road.

What started as a small hole from a reportedly 58-year old leaking water pipe has quickly grown into a sinkhole, placing residents of Erasmia in danger.@CityTshwane pic.twitter.com/6EiCLLbdGM

— Kholofelo Morodi (@kholofeloMorodi) September 23, 2025

I am in Erasmia with Cllr @henriettefroh and Cllr @PrajayRamjee as we join our the City of Tshwane teams to assess the newly formed sinkhole.

We will be monitoring the situation as it unfolds and dedidlcate all our support to the residents.@CityTshwane pic.twitter.com/3ZH5pqdTgA

— Kholofelo Morodi (@kholofeloMorodi) September 23, 2025

“This section of Marthinus Street is closed to through traffic, and motorists can detour via Basson, Lenchen, and Willem Erasmus streets,” she added.

With no timeline yet for repair work, she said ongoing assessments and safeguarding measures remain the city’s focus.

“Affected residents are kept informed of developments and measures to be implemented that may have an effect.”

She urged residents whose properties are at risk to contact their insurance companies for risk assessments.

Morodi confirmed that while the broader process to classify sinkholes in Centurion as a national disaster is still ongoing, the city has escalated its efforts at council level.

“In the interim, the mayor sought council approval to declare the sinkhole a local disaster at the September 26 council proceedings. This is to seek reconsideration from National Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) and to stress to provincial CoGTA the severity of the sinkholes in Region 4,” she explained.

She added that the metro continues to engage with the province and stakeholders to strengthen its case for higher-level support.

“The city is attending to the maintenance and repairs of sinkhole incidents within the available budget constraints. Several sinkhole incidents are planned for assessment and repair across the dolomite areas, within the current available budget.”

During a council meeting on September 25, Mayor Nasiphi Moya said the city has shifted its approach to dealing with the issue after the national government initially dismissed its appeals for support.

ActionSA Mayor Dr @nasiphim Moya highlights a late report submitted to Council, requesting council resolution to authorise her to approach the Minister of COGTA to ask him to classify Clifton sinkhole as a local state of disaster. #CenturionMatters pic.twitter.com/Ot5YofBtG3

— ActionSA Tshwane Caucus (@ActionSATshwane) September 25, 2025

“A few months ago, VF Plus raised a motion regarding the issue of sinkholes in Region 4. We assured them we were working with the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) and needed time to see results. However, our approach has changed,” she said.

The mayor explained that an earlier request for national classification had been rejected.

“Initially, we submitted a letter to the centre, which was rejected. We believe that if we request classification with a council resolution, it may improve our chances,” Moya said.

She added that the situation can no longer be downplayed.

“Recently, we had another sinkhole form in Centurion. This is a disaster. As a council, we need to find ways to address sinkhole issues in Region 4. We are asking for council support to approach the NDMC.”

This latest update follows a July interview in which Morodi told Rekord the metro’s request for national government intervention had already been rejected.

She explained at the time that the city had submitted a request on January 14 for the Clifton Avenue sinkhole to be declared a disaster, followed by an urgent intervention letter on March 25 to several officials, including the ministers of CoGTA, Electricity and Energy, the Gauteng MEC for Infrastructure and CoGTA, and the CEO of Rand Water.

The NDMC responded on January 30, concluding that while the sinkhole was severe, it did not meet the legal definition of a disaster under the Disaster Management Act.

The metro was advised instead to reprioritise its internal budget over several years to cover rehabilitation costs.

Despite this, Morodi said the city remains committed to seeking multi-stakeholder assistance and confirmed that provincial CoGTA is compiling a report that could still lead to the sinkholes being classified as a provincial disaster.

At the time, she noted that Tshwane had not received any national support or funding for sinkhole-related repairs.

She explained that many sinkholes stem from leaking wet services in older suburbs such as Lyttelton Manor, Valhalla, and Laudium.

“These areas are underlain by ageing infrastructure. As a mitigating measure, the city’s regional and service departments can provide input to the response and repair of leaks and the upgrading of wet services to dolomite specifications,” she said.

Centurion residents have repeatedly voiced frustration over plummeting property values, closed roads, and ongoing safety risks.

In areas like Lyttelton and Valhalla, homeowners say they feel abandoned, unable to sell their homes, and fearful of the psychological toll of living under the threat of collapsing ground.

Juan Dré, a resident of Burger Avenue, was among many who feel abandoned.

“Our property values have depreciated, so should we not pay less in property rates and taxes until the infrastructure has been repaired? I mean, nobody’s going to buy a house if there’s a sinkhole in front of it.”

He noted that the sinkholes in the area also affect traffic.

“On Monument Avenue, there’s a sinkhole. On Burger Avenue, there’s a sinkhole. Both are blocking access.”

Local councillor Wesley Jacobs spearheaded a petition in May with about 3 500 signatures calling for a local state of emergency.

While the motion stalled due to compliance issues, the council’s latest resolution has given new weight to demands for stronger intervention.

For now, the MMC said the city will continue tackling the crisis within its limited resources while pressing for higher-level recognition.

“Several sinkhole incidents are planned for assessment and repair across the dolomite areas,” Morodi said, adding that residents would be informed of measures as they are taken.

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