Carletonville News Digest: 30 January 2026

The final ten days of January have seen a dramatic escalation in local tensions. As infrastructure continues to fail, the community is demanding answers from a municipal leadership that has remained largely silent in the face of tragedy and geological threats.

Infrastructure: The Reservoir Sinkhole Crisis

On January 21, 2026, a new sinkhole was discovered just four meters from the newly built Khutsong Reservoir.

• A Gaping Threat: While the surface opening is currently only one meter in diameter, inspectors have revealed that the cavity is at least three meters deep and hollowed out beneath the surrounding solid ground.

• Wasted Resources: Opposition councillor Welile Fihla noted that this multi-million rand reservoir, completed five years ago, has never been used due to ongoing electrical and geological issues. The new sinkhole is the third to appear at the site, raising serious questions about why the facility was built on unstable dolomitic land in the first place.

• Lack of Maintenance: Despite the risk, the Merafong City Local Municipality has yet to repair older sinkholes at the site, citing a lack of funds.

Political Accountability: The Mayoral "Culpable Homicide" Probe

Following the fatal accident on January 12, the pressure on Executive Mayor Nozuko Best intensified significantly during the week of January 21.

• The Victim: Police in Randfontein confirmed that a 33-year-old cyclist was struck and killed on the N14 near the Chiyahla informal settlement.

• Vehicle Misuse Allegations: The vehicle involved, a white BMW X3 (MN45RNGP), is the official car assigned to the Mayor. On January 21, ActionSA and the DA formally demanded to know why a Merafong municipal vehicle was on the N14 during office hours, with allegations suggesting it was returning from a political conference in Rustenburg.

• Official Silence: By January 29, the municipality had still not released a formal statement regarding whether the Mayor was present or if the trip violated the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA).

Crime Alert: The Sidewalk Cable Theft Wave

On January 28, 2026, the Carletonville SAPS issued a chilling new warning regarding copper theft.

• Targeting Homes: Thieves have shifted their tactics from isolated fields to residential sidewalks. In a notable incident in Bloukrans Street near Hoërskool Wonderfontein, criminals dug a long trench directly in front of houses to strip underground cabling.

• Burglaries Spiking: Between January 22 and 29, police reported 11 housebreakings in one week alone. The primary hotspots identified were Pretoriusrus and Khutsong Extension 5, where residents are urged to remain extra vigilant.

Utilities and Service Delivery

• Planned Power Outage: On January 29, a massive 10-hour electricity shutdown occurred at the Frikkie van der Merwe substation. The outage was necessary to commission a new 5 MVA transformer, affecting Welverdiend, Elijah Barayi, and sections of Khutsong.

• Sewage Hazards: On January 25, raw sewage flooded 26th Avenue in Welverdiend, threatening to contaminate the Wonderfonteinspruit. Residents have criticized the municipality for the slow response to a leak that has become a recurrent health hazard.

Sports

• Athletics Records: On January 28, Hoërskool Carletonville (Callies) reported that several school records were "shattered" during their Inter-House athletics meet, held under extreme heat.

• Primary School Excellence: Laerskool Dagbreek hosted its own house sports day on January 28, with standout performances from the senior Victor and Victrix Ludorum, Kevin du Toit and Tshegofatso Ratswana.

Community

The Deelkraal Tortoise Rescue: A 50-Year-Old Survivor

In one of the most shared community stories of the month, the Carletonville SPCA successfully coordinated a high-stakes rescue for an elderly tortoise on January 25.

• The Rescue: A resident in Deelkraal discovered a tortoise that had been entangled in plastic shade netting for what experts believe was several weeks. The netting had tightened around its neck to the point that the animal could no longer eat or drink.

• Airlifted for Care: Because the tortoise, estimated to be over 50 years old, was severely dehydrated and stressed, the SPCA contacted the Owl Rescue Centre. Fearing a road trip would be fatal, they arranged for the tortoise to be airlifted from a nearby airfield to a specialist exotic animal clinic in Bryanston.

• Recovery: Following surgery to remove the mesh, the tortoise is currently in rehabilitation and is expected to be released back into a safe wild area soon.

Crime: Fraud Scams and Targeted Theft

While cable theft dominated the headlines, the Carletonville SAPS issued two major alerts in late January regarding new criminal tactics.

• Social Media Fraud: On January 27, police warned of a surge in "Marketplace" scams where buyers are lured to secluded areas for transactions, only to be robbed at gunpoint.

• Elijah Barayi Armed Robbery: A chilling incident occurred on January 24 near the Elijah Barayi mega housing complex, where a woman was robbed at gunpoint while walking home. This has sparked renewed calls for better street lighting in the newly developed areas.

• Residential Sidewalk Excavations: By January 28, residents reported that copper thieves have become so brazen they are digging up sidewalks directly in front of occupied homes in Bloukrans Street, often pretending to be municipal workers to avoid suspicion.

Community Heroes: Miss CJ Senior’s Schools Drive

Reigning Miss CJ Senior 2025, Lesego Ratlebyane, spent the week of January 26 visiting local secondary schools, including Badirile and Tswasongu.

• The Mission: Understanding the impact of the current economic crisis on families, she organized a massive donation drive for sanitary pads.

• Impact: Her initiative aims to ensure that no female learner in the Merafong district misses school days due to a lack of basic hygiene products. She was widely praised on social media for "leading with a servant's heart."

Education and Youth: Safety First

Following a tragic scholar transport accident in Vanderbijlpark on January 26, the Carletonville community held a moment of silence during school assemblies on January 27 to remember the 11 local children who died in a similar crash in Carletonville in July 2024.

• SAPS Inspection: On January 28, SAPS and local traffic authorities conducted surprise inspections of scholar transport vehicles in the Carletonville CBD to ensure compliance with safety regulations and valid permits.

• School Readiness: Despite the "zama-zama" vandalism reported at Wedela Technical, the local CPF and "Community Patrollers" have established a 24-hour watch over the school’s remaining water tanks to ensure learners have access to water during the school day.

Local Business and Arts

• Chro’s Expansion: Local Hip Hop artist Chro announced on January 28 his expansion into film production. Having built a following in the Merafong music scene, his move into media is seen as a significant step for the local creative economy.

• Merafong Business Forum: On January 29, the forum met to discuss the impact of the 10-hour power shutdown on small businesses in Welverdiend, with many calling for a more predictable maintenance schedule to avoid stock losses in local grocery stores.

Summary of Events: 21–29 January 2026

Date	Category	Key Event
Jan 21	Infra	New sinkhole opens 4m from the Khutsong Reservoir.
Jan 21	Political	ActionSA demands probe into fatal accident involving Mayor’s car.
Jan 25	Health	Raw sewage floods 26th Avenue in Welverdiend.
Jan 25	Wildlife	Carletonville SPCA airlifts an injured tortoise for treatment.
Jan 27	Sport	Hoërskool Carletonville Inter-House athletics breaks local records.
Jan 28	Crime	SAPS warns of cable thieves digging up residential sidewalks.
Jan 28	Sport	Laerskool Dagbreek crowns its 2026 sports champions.
Jan 29	Utility	10-hour planned power shutdown for Welverdiend and Khutsong.
Jan 29	Crime	11 burglaries reported in one week; Pretoriusrus named a hotspot.

As January 2026 comes to a close, Carletonville remains a community defined by its paradoxes: a place where 50-year-old tortoises are airlifted to safety by compassionate volunteers while school infrastructure is stripped bare by illegal miners.

The past month has proven that while the Merafong City Local Municipality grapples with a staggering debt and a leadership under the cloud of a "blue-light" scandal, the pulse of the town is kept steady by its people. From the record-breaking sprinters at Hoërskool Carletonville to the residents of Welverdiend filling their own potholes, the "Gold Rush" legacy is being preserved not through official policy, but through grit and neighborly solidarity.

As we head into February, the focus shifts toward whether these grassroots efforts will finally be met with the institutional accountability the region so desperately requires.

#TheGoToGuy #CarletonvilleNews #LocalNewsDigest

📰📈📢