10-year Parkmore sinkhole blame game continues between city entities
The Johannesburg Roads Agency suspects a leaking Johannesburg Water pipe is behind the long-standing Parkmore sinkhole, but with no timeline for action, residents remain in the dark.
Parkmore residents are still living with the consequences of a 10-year-old water leak at the corner of 4th Street and Victoria Avenue, where a sinkhole has continued to widen over the years.
Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) confirmed the sinkhole had been linked to a suspected Johannesburg Water (JW) pipe leak.
Read more: Update: Parkmore sinkhole woes persist as JRA points to water pipe leak
Despite years of complaints and concerns from the community, no repairs have been done, and residents said the ongoing back-and-forth between city entities was achieving little.
In a recent update, JRA’s regional operations manager, Khayalethu Gqibitole, said a new service request, SR#5572889, had been logged for the site.
“The sinkhole is suspected to be caused by a JW water pipe leak,” Gqibitole said. Currently, the affected site has been barricaded for safety to prevent vehicles from passing through. Exploratory excavations will be conducted to confirm the cause. Should it be confirmed as a JW pipe leak, JW will be responsible for repairing the pipe, and JRA will then reinstate and repair the road.”
Also read: Johannesburg Water closes Winnie Mandela Drive south due to sinkhole repairs
Residents’ concerns about cases being closed without solutions were addressed. Gqibitole explained, “We reported this matter to Johannesburg Water to repair the leak. JRA will follow up with JW to ensure the pipe repairs are completed.”
Despite promises, the timeline for permanent repairs remains uncertain. “The estimated time of repair is dependent on Johannesburg Water’s turnaround time strategy,” Gqibitole said.
In a previous article, JW spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala said, “This is borehole water. JW does not deal with borehole sources. The councillor has been informed and will communicate with the property owner.” When asked which councillor they spoke to, JW remained mum.
The Sandton Chronicle reached out to JW again on October 7 for further comment, but no response was received by the time of publication. An update will be provided once it becomes available.
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