The heavy rainfall of the previous rainy season is apparently the main cause of cracking of the retaining wall next to the railway bridge in Gholf Club Road, Kimberley.
This road, just off the N12, leads to the Kimberley Gholf Club and the Sun Flamingo.
Themba Marasha, Flamingo Casino’s general manager, said the damage to the wall at the bridge entrance was storm-related and unconnected to any leaking municipal pipes.
According to Marasha, the city’s disaster management has been kept abreast of the situation.
“The wall infrastructure has come under pressure from the exceptionally heavy rains of recent times, and cannot redirect the water coming from the N12.”
“This water is coming from as far back as the flyover,” he said.
Ronnie Engelbrecht, general manager of the Kimberley Gholf Club, confirmed that the club also experienced problems with soil saturated with water after the rain, as well as witha culvert that is no longer effective in draining the water in the direction of Kamfers Dam.
Marasha further commented that, based on the opinion of engineers, there was no immediate danger to property or people.
He said that engineers were assessing options to fix the wall.
“We are confident that the supports that have been put in place by the engineers will safely hold the wall.
“Our concern now lies with finding a longer-term solution to repair the wall in a way that will also address the issue of future flooding,” Marasha concluded.
