The rainy weather is causing the residents of Khutsong so much stress as they worry that their homes will sink to the ground. The issue of sinkholes has been an ongoing problem in the area and some residents have been forced to move out of their homes.

LIVING WITH NEIGHBOURS

Speaking to Zimoja Gogo Matilda Nkomo (75) described how she has had to evacuate her once warm home  to ask for accommodation from neighbours because her own daughter stays far. She said her 12 roomed house was filled with cracks and her bedroom was completely off limits to her because the floor has cracked. "For the past three years we've been making the same plea with the municipality to come to our aid and get us out of these dangerous houses. When we bought the houses we had no idea that we would be faced with such a problem in their near future," said gogo Nkomo She explained that there used to be nine of them living in her home but they have since split. " We've had to split because not all of us could be accommodated in one house since we've asked for a place to sleep from neighbours."              She refused to be moved to an RDP house claiming that not even half of her belongings will fit in there. She said she wanted to be compensated with a house as big as the one she owns.
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NOT SUITABLE HABITATION

In a statement Merafong Municipality revealed that 70% of Khutsong is not suitable for human habitation and over 25 000 families are expected to be relocated. Of that 25 000 only 200 have been moved to RDPs over the past year. MEC for Gauteng Human Settlement and Infrastructure Development Lebogang Maile held an engagement with Merafong Municipality's Executive Mayor Nozuko Best and MMC for Human Settlements  Ntombiyoxolo Sefako, regarding the  seven biggest sinkholes needing urgent attention in Khutsong.  The Municipality continues to experience a series of challenges daily ranging from water disruptions, collapsed and leaking pipes, stormwater drainage issues, illegal water connections, collapsed sewer lines and funding shortages to address these issues.

MOVING PEOPLE OUT OF HARM"S WAY

Maile said that this is affecting the municipality's ability to service residents and needs intervention.Due to heavy rain in the area,  MEC Maile was unable to physically visit the affected areas and engage with the community, however, the MEC has visited the area before and is aware of the magnitude of the problem residents in Khutsong and the immediate surroundings face when it comes to sinkholes.  "The provincial government and its relevant departments together with the local municipality and the national government will meet in the coming days to better coordinate efforts by receiving, reviewing and augmenting the municipality's short, medium and long term plans to rehabilitate sinkholes where possible and move people out of harm's way," said Maile.