In lockdown with no water or electricity … by a sinkhole
The site is just four blocks from a Tshwane municipal office and is surrounded by three schools, at least two churches, a shopping centre, and a hospital.
Some Tshwane residents could call into work this morning and tell their boss they are in lockdown.
This is after a huge new sinkhole formed overnight on the corner of Burger Avenue and Langerbrink Road in Lyttleton Manor, Centurion.
The site is just four blocks from a Tshwane municipal office and is surrounded by three schools, at least two churches, a shopping centre, and a hospital.
Centurion is reportedly grappling with more than 50 sinkholes at the moment.
Water and lights outage ahead?
To make matters worse, residents will soon be without water because the sinkhole has broken the water pipes in the area.
There were concerns that the lights could also go out if the transformer on the edge of the sinkhole fell, but residents said the lights went out at around 10 am.
It was estimated that about 25 households were locked in after another sinkhole developed in the same street last year, with the first one still unrepaired.
Wake up to a hole
A concerned resident, who agreed to speak anonymously, said the sinkhole formed around 2 am on Friday.
'One of the neighbours says they went to the loo around that time, and there was no water to flush or wash their hands.
'Then later, between 4 am and 5 am, a neighbour was driving out and saw the sinkhole. He told his neighbours, who in turn, alerted others.
'We drove our cars out of the street, to a safer area because, as it is, no cars can drive in and out as the sinkhole is right at the intersection,' he said.
A transformer sits on the edge of the sinkhole. Picture: Supplied
'Water is gushing out from the sinkhole, and we do not have water in our homes.'
The resident said that while a section of the road has been closed off and there are flashing police lights to warn unsuspecting drivers, Langerbrink Road is one of the busiest streets in the area.
No money to fix sinkholes?
While the City was yet to comment on the recent sinkhole, they had already admitted that there was no budget to fix the current sinkholes.
In January, City spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said that R14.5 million had been allocated during the current financial year to repair nine small and low-priority sinkholes. Two months later, Mashigo said no emergency funds had been allocated for sinkhole repairs.
'The long-term plan is to upgrade all the ageing wet services, especially water pipes, to dolomitic standards to minimise the occurrences of leaks and potential sinkhole formation,' he said.
The area around the sinkhole has been closed off. Picture: Supplied
Lyttleton's battles with sinkholes
In February, two sinkholes formed in the area, one in the corner of Trichardt and Van Riebeeck Street and another on DF Malan Road.
Lyttleton Councillor Johan van Buuren said he had four sinkholes in his area, two old sinkholes and two that formed earlier this year.
'No further work has been done on any of the sinkholes,' he said.
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