The unresolved sinkhole at the corner of 4th Street and Victoria Avenue in Parkmore has once again become the centre of confusion and frustration as Johannesburg Water (JW) reaffirms it is not responsible for the persistent underground water leak, leaving residents questioning who is.
JW spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala told the Sandton Chronicle that they have investigated the site twice, most recently on October 7, and concluded that the water causing the erosion originates from a borehole, not a JW pipeline.
Read more: Update: Parkmore sinkhole woes persist as JRA points to water pipe leak
“This issue relates to borehole water,” Shabalala said. “As such, it falls outside Johannesburg Water’s operational mandate. Our Zandfontein depot has communicated this to the acting ward councillor Lori Coogan, who was expected to relay this to you.”
However, when contacted, Coogan said she is surprised by the claim. “I am not the acting ward councillor for this area and have not been involved in this matter. I was never informed or consulted regarding this sinkhole issue,” Coogan said.
Parkmore suburb manager and Ward 90 committee member Lori Klein offered clarity on the water source, echoing JW’s position.
“As the community manager, I must clarify a critical point: the water in question does not originate from a Johannesburg Water pipe,” Klein explained. “It is a natural underground spring located on private residential property. This has been confirmed through prior assessments with JW.”
Klein called for urgent reassessment and interdepartmental action.
“This issue has persisted for over a decade, and the community is deeply concerned about safety, accountability, and long-term road neglect, particularly between 4th and 5th streets. The sinkhole is already opening up again, and the coming rains will make it worse.”
She urged the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) to coordinate with relevant departments to find a sustainable engineering solution and communicate a realistic timeline for road reinstatement.
In an earlier update, JRA’s regional operations manager, Khayalethu Gqibitole, had stated that a new service request, SR#5572889, had been logged, and exploratory work would be done to confirm the source of the leak.
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“The sinkhole is suspected to be caused by a JW water pipe leak. The site has been barricaded for safety. Exploratory excavations will be conducted to confirm the cause.
If it’s confirmed to be a JW leak, JW will be responsible for the repair, and JRA will then reinstate the road,” Gqibitole said at the time.
But with JW saying the sinkhole is caused by a borehole and it therefore falls outside their mandate, the path forward remains unclear.
Klein added that a private engineer and local business have stepped up, offering both technical expertise and financial assistance to help address the issue, but without a clear lead from the city, efforts remain stalled. “We need JRA to step up and plan a way forward,” said Klein.
“This can’t go another year unresolved.”
We have reached out to JRA again for a comment, updates will be provided once they become available.
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