6 days ago
Watch: Birthday cake for 20m sinkhole in Gauteng
The chocolate cake was decorated to resemble Rondebult Road with a gigantic gouge in the cake, resembling a sinkhole.
Alti Fouche, from Silla Speciality Cakes, and DA Councillor Simon Lapping pose for a photograph with a cake as they celebrate the approaching third birthday of the Rondebult Road sinkhole in Boksburg. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen
After almost three years of promises, delays and a new budget-related reason, the sinkhole that flanks and caused the closure of Boksburg's Rondebult Road arterial remain unfixed.
Ekurhuleni councillor Simon Lapping and local ward councillor Marius de Vos hosted a birthday ceremony for the 20-metre deep sinkhole recently.
A 'fairy' delivered a birthday cake, which Lapping plans to share with Ekurhuleni mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza.
The chocolate cake was decorated to resemble Rondebult Road with a gigantic gouge in the cake, resembling a sinkhole.
Alti Fouche of Silla Specialty Cakes made the delivery.
'We usually deliver cakes with singing fairygrams, but to parties and people who are celebrating special occasions. Today is the first time that we're delivering a cake to a sinkhole. It's very exciting, happy birthday sinkhole!'
It was a gentle protest.
The Rondebult Road sinkhole in Boksburg, 12 June 2025. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen
Road closure
De Vos said the road closure continues to obstruct traffic between three major national highways.
'The N12, N17 and R21 connect industry, the local economy, to the rest of the province and the country,' he said.
'Rondebult Road, in turn, connects all three of these highways.'
For more than two-and-a-half years, traffic has been detoured, said Lapping.
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Businesses affected
It comes at a cost to businesses and taxpayers.
'We have more than 40 000 vehicles a day travelling through here,' he said.
'This is a cost of potentially over R1 billion a year just in transport costs alone.'
Ekurhuleni spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said while the municipality wants to repair the sinkhole, it cannot.
A fix comes with a price tag of R150 million, and there are no funds available.
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