Tshwane runs out of cash as 67 sinkholes swallow Centurion

A sinkhole on Snake Valley road forcing the road to be closed in Centurion, Tshwane, 17 January 2023. Picture: Neil McCartney / The Citizen The City of Tshwane is concerned about the number of sinkholes in Centurion, but says it doesn’t have enough money to rehabilitate them. During the handover of the newly refurbished Kentron substation on Tuesday, Tshwane MMC for health Tshegofatso Mashabela expressed her concern about unattendedsinkholesin the area.

“We are faced with a total of sinkholes currently standing at 67,” she said. Mashabela has called for an oversight visit to resolve the issue of the sinkholes. “But we don’t have a budget; we will try to see where we can assist,” she said.

Tshwane deputy mayor and MMC of finance Eugene Modise said sinkholes were a big problem and described some of them as scary. “We are doing something about the sinkholes, but it’s a process and we are working on it. We have made some applications but, unfortunately, it’s a tedious process and there’s red tape.

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“Provincial government said it’s the purview of the national government,” he said. Modise is concerned about a big water pipe from Rand Water passing through Lyttleton. “If it bursts, it may cause fatalities and the city would struggle to rectify it.

“Categorisation is a problem; it’s a disaster,” he added. Modise said national government must help fix the sinkholes because it has the budget.

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