Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink must stop dragging his feet and urgently address the staggering number of sinkholes dragging down the capital city. 

The slow pace in addressing this expanding problem has once again been highlighted at a time when Tshwane's financial situation is also in serious need of rehabilitation. 

A recent investigation by the Sunday Times revealed the capital currently has 49 sinkholes on its priority repairs list. This does not include ones that the City has backburnered.

In July of 2021, GOOD embarked on several fact-finding missions to assess the extent of the ongoing problem.

In Atteridgeville, several families were forced to abandon their shacks when a months-old sinkhole suddenly began enlarging. Residents reported widespread property damage. The sinkhole became a rubbish dump, posing health risks to residents. Children played next to the it, while local vendors in the vicinity took their chances, unaware of whether it would further expand. The sinkhole was eventually fixed after several years.

We were met with increasingly characteristic indifference by the DA-led City at the time. The then MMC for Roads and Transport, Dikeledi Selowa, appeared to blame the Provincial and National Government for failing to hand over the land parcels to the City. even though the sinkholes we were reporting did not fall under their jurisdiction.

On the corner of Taljaard and Hendriks Street, in the community of Hercules, a sinkhole caused local businesses to bleed customers. We reported this matter in July of 2021, and a resolution finally came in December of 2022 - a full year and a half later.

The truth is that residents don't need to struggle. There is a solution; the DA-led coalition must stop fumbling financial matters and invest where it matters.

Recent actions don't inspire confidence that this is the likely outcome. 

The City plans on continued funding for the Tshwane Economic Development Agency - an entity that has swallowed R500 million but produced R0 in foreign direct investment. This week will also see a vote on the creation of an Executive Deputy Mayor position - one which will cost residents and which the coalition is adamant on seeing through.

We reiterate our call for the Mayor to urgently rehabilitate Tshwane's financial situation and make a record investment in sinkhole repairs as soon as possible.  

 

Issued by Sarah Mabotsa, GOOD: City of Tshwane Councillor