Sinkhole ‘a death trap’

“A DEATH trap. That is what this hole in the ground is,” said Ish Prahladh, a resident and security business owner in Reservoir Hills. He was referring to the damage caused by the April floods along the M19 slipway leading into Reservoir Hills and Clare Estate.

He said the area had a sunken hole and they feared that vehicles travelling along the road would fall into the rubble.

“About a month ago, during the early hours of the morning, a taxi went into the wide open space created by the floods. Fortunately, there were no passengers in the vehicle. But what if the taxi had children inside?

“The floods took away many lives and washed away homes on the riverbanks of the informal settlement. With the damages not attended to, we have exposed sewage and water pipes and even fiber.

“Our families are afraid of driving along this way. We as residents of Reservoir Hills and Clare Estate had to take matters into our own hands to safeguard ourselves. We joined forces to fix what we could because the sunken hole is a disaster waiting to happen. Following the clean-up, the next step would be to cement and tar the areas that are broken and exposed.

“We want to thank all businesses, organisations and residents who helped us. For now, we have taken care of the immediate issues so that we can feel safe. But we are still waiting for the eThekwini Municipality to take care of the bigger issues.”

Jayen Bardia, the chairperson of the local Community Policing Forum (CPF), said: “The area has always been a hot spot for criminal activities. But since the floods, we have seen an increase in smash and grabs in the area. Drivers are extra cautious while driving around the damages. They slow down as they manoeuvre, making easier targets.”

The municipality did not respond at the time of publication.