A sinkhole that formed yesterday afternoon on the N12 near Stilfontein may have disastrous consequences for local residents.
This follows the costly repair of another sinkhole that had formed just a few meters away. Local residents’ lives were severely disrupted for months as all traffic had to be rerouted through the town.
In addition to the traffic congestion, exacerbated by the influx of large trucks into residential areas, Stilfontein’s streets and even pavements were severely damaged, and are yet to be repaired.
With yet another sinkhole appearing at more or less the same location, Stilfontein residents are now facing the same challenges.
This sinkhole on the N12, which is a main route to the Northern and Western Cape, was caused by a leak in a Midvaal Water Company pipeline that supplies water to the Muranti reservoir in Klerksdorp. It appears that the pipe has burst again where it was previously repaired, causing a new sinkhole to form.
A project to fully replace the entire ageing pipeline has been dragging on for years.
It is expected that residents of Doringkruin and Wilkoppies in Klerksdorp, among others, will also experience water supply problems for the foreseeable future.
It is unacceptable that state-related entities’ failure to properly maintain critical infrastructure repeatedly disrupts entire communities in Matlosana while worsening the decay of basic infrastructure.
It has an enormous detrimental impact on the local economy.
The consequent squandering of local residents’ limited financial resources on repairing the preventable damage is a disgrace.
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) will demand answers from Midvaal and all other institutions responsible for the apparent negligence, poor maintenance, and inadequate planning and project management.
It is crucial to hold the relevant institutions, authorities and individuals accountable for the consequences of their negligence, as Stilfontein and Klerksdorp residents are bearing the brunt of it.
This serves as further proof that the ANC and its cohorts simply cannot be trusted with any form of service delivery.
