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18 August 2017
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A-gat-ha of a road The gigantic sinkhole eating its way accross the top of Agatha Road near the entrance to the very popular Kingswalden wedding and conferencing venue. Below is a timeline of images which show the progression of the now life-threatening situation over the course of the last three years. This is one of three sinkholes in the area and yet, despite our best efforts, the GTM choose to turn a blind eye.
of these sinkholes unknowingly. The weight of their vehicle will cause the tarmac to collapse, sending it crashing three or four metres straight down into the ravine or forestry plantations below. It will be a miracle if anyone inside the vehicle survives the fall. When a similar incident occurred on the R528 road through Georges Valley, the authorities paid little attention to the concerns of the residents who warned of impending doom. Only after countless number of vehicles were damaged, and the road finally gave way completely, did the municipality and Roads Agency Limpopo (RAL) step in. Subsequently, an entire section of that road
2014
2015
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had to be rebuilt at the cost of millions (the exact amount is still unknown as despite efforts by the media, the figures were never released) and the inconvenience of all residents in that area. It is not a new problem either. In May 2013, a group of Agatha residents under the guidance of Juan Claassen, took the matter into their own hands. Nine potholes were fixed along the nightmarish road using 400 litres of tar and stone. The GTM offered no assistance and instead shrugged their shoulders claiming that the road was a provincial road and therefore not their concern. Two years later almost to the day, a municipal vehicle was photographed stranded next
to the Agatha Road after a pothole claimed one its tyres. Shockingly, even that was not enough to spur them into action. If their own losses do not concern them, why would the losses incurred by their residents be any different? We have sent an enquiry to RAL and the GTM, but at the time of going to print we had still had no response. Motorists are warned to travel with care as they approach the Kingswalden bend heading from Tzaneen towards Agatha. The sinkhole has crept into the middle of the road and now covers the entire left hand lane. — Joe Dreyer joe@bulletin.us.com
2017
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Agatha Road is fast deteriorating and the situation is no longer considered a lack of maintenance by the municipality, but rather a life threatening concern. Three sinkholes have formed over the course of the last few years on three different sections of the route. What started as small, barely visible bumps in the road surface have now grown into monstrous cavities the size of a regular family sedan. The soil beneath the road is collapsing causing the tarred surface above it to crumble under its own weight and eventually cave in. Because the danger is not visible from above, motorists stand the risk of crossing over one
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