This once-peaceful suburb in Centurion is now the epicenter of a growing environmental crisis, as sinkholes continue to erupt across roads, beneath homes, and around key infrastructure. Triggered by a combination of dolomitic rock beneath the ground and intensified by heavy rains and failing municipal services, these sinkholes have become a persistent and dangerous threat to the community.

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A Neighborhood on the Brink

In recent years, Lyttelton Manor has seen a sharp increase in sinkhole formation. The most recent incident occurred on Friday, 9 May 2025, when a large section of earth collapsed at the intersection of Burger Avenue and Langebrink Road. What began as a curbside depression has since expanded rapidly. The site, now cordoned off by authorities, lies dangerously close to a local power substation, a busy school, and a historic church—raising fears over safety and service disruptions.

Despite the urgency, a visit to the scene just days later revealed no visible repair activity. Concerned parents waited outside the school, while residents continued their daily routines under a looming threat.

Infrastructure Falling Through the Cracks

The problem isn’t limited to just one location. Only a block away, another sinkhole on Burger Avenue has remained unrepaired since August 2022, cutting off access to four homes. Residents are forced to navigate through neighbors’ properties to reach the road.

On Monument Avenue, four additional sinkholes puncture just a 220-meter stretch, obstructing businesses, homes, and general traffic. Meanwhile, an enormous cavity on Clifton Avenue, near a high school and hospital, has been growing since 2019, destroying two homes and leading to permanent evacuations.

To accommodate pedestrian traffic in that area, the local government erected a temporary steel bridge, yet no long-term solution has been offered.

Another alarming case unfolded on Van Riebeeck Avenue, where a sinkhole beneath a home’s boundary wall disrupted underground water lines. Temporary above-ground piping was laid to restore municipal services.

Residents Left to Fend for Themselves

While the government has repaired two significant sinkholes—one on the M10 between Lyttelton Manor and Valhalla, and another near a major N1 interchange—progress is slow. The N1 repair alone took nearly three years to complete.

Frustrated by government inaction, residents of Irene, just a few kilometers away, took matters into their own hands. When a sinkhole appeared on Main Road in February 2023, locals raised over R477,000 to repair the damage themselves. The road was fully operational by the end of April that year—a timeline that sharply contrasts with municipal efforts.

A Widening Crisis Across Centurion

Data from a short survey conducted on 20 May 2025 revealed at least 12 major sinkholes across Lyttelton Manor, Centurion, and Valhalla. The City of Tshwane confirmed that 63 sinkholes currently plague the metro. Yet, the municipality has only budgeted R14.7 million toward addressing a crisis that experts estimate will require over R180 million to resolve.

MMC Kholofelo Morodi acknowledged the financial shortfall and called for national intervention, noting the city’s constrained fiscal position.

What’s Causing the Collapse?

The culprit behind most of these sinkholes is dolomite, a porous rock that underlies much of Centurion and parts of Gauteng. When water—especially from leaking pipes or stormwater systems—seeps into the ground, it dissolves the dolomite, forming underground voids that eventually collapse.

Although measures like ground-penetrating radar are used during road construction to detect unstable areas, avoiding dolomite entirely is often impossible. When unavoidable, agencies like Sanral resort to reinforcing affected zones with underground concrete pillars or slabs to prevent future collapses.

Sinkholes’ Toll on the Community

The impact of these geological events is not limited to roads and pipes. Entire neighborhoods have faced prolonged disruptions in electricity and water supply, while property values in the area are beginning to reflect the risk. Sales in Lyttelton Manor have declined steadily since a peak in 2022, and “For Sale” signs are now a common sight on many corners.

As the crisis deepens, residents are calling for Lyttelton Manor to be declared a disaster area, hoping such a designation would expedite intervention and unlock additional funding.

The sinkhole epidemic gripping Lyttelton Manor is a stark reminder of what happens when natural vulnerabilities meet bureaucratic delays and insufficient maintenance. While a few successful community-led efforts like the Irene initiative offer hope, a long-term solution requires urgent coordination between local, provincial, and national government structures.

Unless decisive action is taken, this once-idyllic suburb risks being remembered not for its charm or community spirit—but as a cautionary tale of a city literally sinking under its own weight.