Sinkholes Symbolise Tshwane’s Crumbling Water Network

The rising number of sinkholes in the Tshwane Metro is a symptom of the Metro’s aging and decaying water infrastructure, caused by years of neglect.

Although the Metro has made progress with repairs since June 2025, the current budget is insufficient to effectively manage the crisis.

Centurion remains a high-risk area, and the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) has already requested that a local state of disaster be declared.

According to a recent council report, there are currently 63 sinkholes across the Metro, with the latest one forming on 27 October in Lyttleton as a result of inadequate maintenance of municipal infrastructure.

Several independent experts’ geological reports confirm that the majority of sinkholes are directly linked to the poor maintenance of Tshwane’s sewage and water infrastructure.

These findings support the Freedom Front Plus’s view that it is not a natural problem, but an inevitable consequence of years of neglect and misguided priorities. The asbestos pipes that are on average around 55 years old have surpassed their technical life span long ago.

Only R14,7 million was budgeted for sinkhole rehabilitation in the 2024/25 financial year – barely enough to cover nine low-priority sites. Larger sinkholes, which could cost up to R30 million each, are left as is.

Meanwhile, more than R500 million is spent on water tankers annually, a temporary and unsustainable substitute for proper infrastructure investment.

The Freedom Front Plus condemns this poor prioritisation, warning that areas such as Lyttleton will become increasingly unsafe as cavities under roads and properties continue to form.

The party demands adjustments to the budget to bring it in line with the actual extent of the problem in addition to the implementation of a dedicated maintenance plan for early leak detection, geological monitoring and better inter-departmental coordination.

Upgrading Tshwane’s water network is not optional; it is a crisis that should be prioritised and sustainably funded.

Sinkholes are not the root of the problem, it is the Metro’s crumbling infrastructure.

If the Metro fails to acknowledge this reality, parts of Centurion run the risk of literally and figuratively collapsing.

FF+ Manifesto on Safe communities: Implementing strategies to combat crime and improve safety.

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