Centurion is Sinking – Multiple Sinkholes and Counting!
Centurion in Gauteng, South Africa, is quite literally sinking. In the past year a whopping 30 sinkholes have appeared in the area, situated between Pretoria and Midrand. According to current affairs show Carte Blanche, Centurion has been built on permeable dolomite… and now “urbanisation, bad drainage and infrastructure have led to 30 sinkholes appearing in this […]
Centurion in Gauteng, South Africa, is quite literally sinking. In the past year a whopping 30 sinkholes have appeared in the area, situated between Pretoria and Midrand.
According to current affairs show Carte Blanche, Centurion has been built on permeable dolomite… and now “urbanisation, bad drainage and infrastructure have led to 30 sinkholes appearing in this area in the past year”.
Apparently there were warnings about the dolomite bedrock, and predictions that the porous rock would eventually subside… but the warnings were ignored and the development of Centurion went ahead.
“Every year more sinkholes endanger residents who face an uncertain future,” says Carte Blanche’s Derek Watts.
Apart from the roads, some properties are cracking “while others are literally falling apart and threatening the safety of residents.”
Watch Carte Blanche’s investigation this Sunday on MNet if you’re in South Africa, or on Showmax from Tuesday if you’re a South African abroad.
WATCH Trailer: Centurion is Sinking
Centurion in Gauteng is built on porous, permeable dolomite – now the bedrock is subsiding, leaving hundreds of properties cracking and #sinkholes appearing throughout this area. @DerekWatts reports this Sunday at 7pm on #CarteBlanche. pic.twitter.com/QirtuvT3Sk
— Carte Blanche (@carteblanchetv) August 15, 2018
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This Sunday Carte Blanche also investigates an illegal chicken abattoir, human trafficking and cyclists at risk:
Illegal Chicken Abattoir
Blood on the floors and rats – that was the scene in the basement of an apartment building in downtown Johannesburg. It’s under these conditions that hundreds of broiler chickens are slaughtered in this illegal chicken abattoir before they’re packaged and sold to unsuspecting consumers. Carte Blanche joined the Sandton SPCA as it raided the building and rescued these distressed animals. (Producer: Sasha Schwendenwein, Presenter: Macfarlane Moleli)
Miguel Louw
A ten-year-old KZN boy disappears without a trace, a suspect is arrested and charged with trafficking, but almost a month after his abduction, the location of Miguel Louw, is still unknown. Experts believe that Miguel’s case isn’t unique and he’s just one of the hundreds of men, women and children, who are taken by human trafficking syndicates and illegally traded on the black market. (Producer: Jacqui Jayam aha,Presenter: Devi Sankaree Govender)
Cyclists at Risk
Could your expensive, state-of-the-art bicycle cost you your life? Recently a leisurely cycle turned into a near-death experience for one Johannesburg cyclist, after he was shot and left on the side of the road. But the quick actions of a good Samaritan helped save his life. Exposed and vulnerable, a growing number of cyclists have fallen victim to these violent attacks and the theft of their bicycles. (Producer: Laura Byrne, Presenter: Claire Mawisa)
This episode of Carte Blanche is available for South Africans abroad to watch from Tuesday 21 August 2018 if you subscribe to Showmax.