Rain worsens capital's R100m sinkhole headache: Msimanga

South Africa's capital city has a problem with sinkholes and is spending millions to fix them.

In the current financial year alone the city has had 27 sinkholes. This was highlighted by Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga during his state of the capital address in Pretoria on Thursday.

The city would need R100-million to fix its sinkholes.

Msimanga said that as much as his administration appreciated the recent healthy rainfalls‚ he was worried about their effect on the problem.

"The heavy rains the city experienced during the week of 19 March 2018 has compounded the issue of sinkholes‚ particularly in Region 4‚" he said.

The city was "site securing" and monitoring the sinkholes.

"We have committed R25-million from the operating budget to repairwork on the Jean Avenue sinkhole and in so doing bringing us one step closer to restoring optimum business activity in the area‚" said Msimanga.

That particular sinkhole had caused massive disruption to business and traffic flow in Centurion.

"This is the largest single cost of repair and the tender has been awarded to a contractor with the necessary capacity to undertake the work‚" said Msimanga.

Msimanga said the city will see how further funds can be reprioritised for the repair of sinkholes in the current financial year.

"There are about eight sinkholes in Laudium alone and three are already being attended to in the current financial year‚" he added.

The city was also budgeting to repair three additional sinkholes in the approaching financial year‚ while two smaller ones would be temporarily treated.