The City of Tshwane has acknowledged that it lacks the financial resources needed to address the growing number of sinkholes in Centurion, raising concerns about public safety, infrastructure damage and long-term urban planning.
Municipal officials say the number of reported sinkholes in the area has reached 67, with some posing significant risks to nearby residents, roads and critical infrastructure.
The issue has become one of the most pressing challenges facing Centurion, an area that has long struggled with sinkhole formation due to its underlying dolomite geology and ageing water infrastructure.
Funding shortages slow repair efforts
Speaking during the handover of the refurbished Kentron substation, Tshwane MMC for Health Tshegofatso Mashabela expressed concern over the increasing number of unattended sinkholes.
She confirmed that the municipality is monitoring dozens of affected sites but admitted that funding remains a major obstacle.
Municipal leaders have called for oversight visits and additional assessments, but officials say available budgets are insufficient to tackle the scale of the problem.
Deputy Mayor and MMC for Finance Eugene Modise described several sinkholes as alarming and warned that the city is struggling to navigate the administrative processes required to secure additional support.
According to Modise, the municipality has approached higher levels of government for assistance, arguing that the financial burden exceeds what local authorities can reasonably manage.
He also highlighted concerns surrounding a major Rand Water pipeline running through the Lyttelton area. A collapse or pipe failure linked to sinkhole activity could have serious consequences, including potential injuries, service disruptions and costly repairs.
Centurion remains Gauteng’s sinkhole hotspot
Democratic Alliance Gauteng transport spokesperson Nicole van Dyk said Centurion continues to be the province’s most severely affected area, particularly in Lyttelton and Die Hoewes.
She noted that sinkholes have negatively affected property values and community confidence, prompting calls for municipal rate relief for residents living in high-risk areas.
According to figures cited by Van Dyk, Gauteng has an estimated 5,150 sinkholes, highlighting the broader scale of the challenge facing provincial authorities.
She argued that Tshwane is unlikely to secure enough funding to fully address the problem because municipal resources are already stretched across road maintenance, infrastructure upgrades and housing developments.
Van Dyk also criticised the lack of progress following previous discussions involving government officials, engineers and private-sector stakeholders who proposed public-private partnership solutions.
Despite repeated commitments to establish a dedicated sinkhole task team, she said little practical action has followed.
At present, only four sinkholes are reportedly being repaired by provincial authorities.
Experts have repeatedly pointed to underground water leaks as one of the primary causes of sinkhole formation. Van Dyk argued that investing in leak detection technology could save authorities significant amounts of money in the long run by preventing collapses before they occur.
As sinkholes continue to emerge across Centurion, pressure is mounting on local, provincial and national government to develop a coordinated strategy before the problem escalates further.
Source: The Citizen, City of Tshwane