Locals mark three years of traffic chaos and empty promises with a slice of satire

It’s not every day a sinkhole gets a birthday cake, but in Ekurhuleni, anything feels possible—except fixing the actual hole.

Local councillors Simon Lapping and Marius de Vos recently marked the third “anniversary” of a massive 20-metre-deep sinkhole on Rondebult Road by hosting a cheeky celebration, complete with a fairygram and a chocolate cake sculpted to resemble the very crater that’s been disrupting lives and business for close to three years.

“Happy birthday, sinkhole!” declared Alti Fouche of Silla Specialty Cakes, whose whimsical delivery turned heads and hashtags. Known for their singing cake deliveries at birthdays and weddings, this was their first time performing for a pothole on steroids.

A Satirical Slice of Protest

Far from just a lighthearted gesture, the cake stunt was a clever and gentle protest aimed at the Ekurhuleni municipality’s repeated delays and excuses. Councillor Lapping said he planned to personally share the cake with Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, “so the city doesn’t forget how long this has dragged on.”

Since the sinkhole opened in late 2021, Rondebult Road—a key arterial connecting the N12, N17, and R21 highways—has remained shut. What started as a small collapse has grown into a deep, gaping wound in Boksburg’s infrastructure, with over 40,000 vehicles rerouted daily, according to Lapping.

More Than Just a Hole in the Ground

“It’s not just an eyesore or a detour—it’s an economic chokehold,” said Ward Councillor de Vos. Businesses that once thrived along this corridor are now struggling with lost customers, delivery delays, and soaring transport costs.

“By our estimates, the ongoing closure is costing the economy more than R1 billion a year in transport-related expenses alone,” Lapping added.

And while residents have waited—and waited—for a solution, the municipality continues to punt the problem down the road. Ekurhuleni spokesperson Zweli Dlamini confirmed that the city wants to fix it, but simply doesn’t have the R150 million required to do so.

No Budget, No Action

The city’s explanation? No funds available. That’s despite earlier promises and the critical nature of the road as a link between key industrial and commuter routes.

Social media has been ablaze with frustration since the cake photo went viral.

“We can afford fairygrams but not road repairs?” wrote @ThaboOnTheMove.
“Only in SA do we celebrate a sinkhole’s birthday. What a joke,” added @DuduSpeaks.

Others praised the councillors for using humour to bring attention to a serious issue.

“At least someone’s trying to hold the city accountable,” said @ZamaInBoksburg.

Sinkholes and System Failures

Sinkholes in Gauteng aren’t new many areas sit on dolomitic soil, which is prone to collapse when water erodes underground rock. But what turns a geological event into a civic nightmare is a lack of rapid response and preventative infrastructure planning.

The Rondebult crater is now symbolic of a broader rot in local governance: ageing infrastructure, poor maintenance, and endless political buck-passing.

What Now?

Until Ekurhuleni finds the money or the will  the sinkhole will remain, and residents will keep detouring around it. But if the birthday cake is anything to go by, they’re not doing it quietly anymore.

In the words of one resident, who attended the satirical celebration:

“If the government won’t fix it, at least we can laugh about it while demanding better.”

So here’s to you, Rondebult sinkhole, three years old and still wide open. May your next birthday come with candles, confetti, and finally, a construction crew.

{Source: The Citizen}

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