Infrastructure at risk as sinkholes spread in Springs

Springs has seen a steady increase in sinkholes over the years.

There are two developing sinkholes – on First Street in the CBD and Gold Street in New Era.

When asked what could be causing them, CoE spokesperson Zweli Dlamini attributed the primary reasons to dolomite and illegal mining.

“Ekurhuleni is 60% dolomitic, which increases chances of sinkholes forming.”

He said structural damage is bound to happen because some towns in Ekurhuleni are over a century old.

“The city spends millions in maintenance to avoid infrastructure collapse and the interruption of services.”
Dlamini advises residents to report anything looking like a sinkhole.

“The best precautionary measure is for communities to report suspected sinkholes as soon as they see signs like cracking of the soil, floors and walls, and suspicious ditches outside or inside their properties.”

“When a sinkhole is reported to the city, we immediately investigate to determine the hole’s course before we fix the problem. Our plan includes evacuating the affected community to a safer place while the matter receives attention because we are about saving lives and property.”