After years of traffic jams and detours on Rondebult Road, frustrated Boksburg residents and their municipal councillors decided to turn their three-year-long sinkhole nightmare into a cheeky “birthday celebration” with a cake cleverly decorated to look like the road and its massive crater!
Boksburg, South Africa (23 June 2025) – There are moments when frustration reaches a point of humour, because if we don’t kick up a fuss, scream or cry, we may as well just laugh.
Following close to three years of traffic jams, excuses and delayed repairs from authorities, the residents of Boksburg decided to “celebrate” their three-year-old sinkhole with a birthday cake!
The sinkhole on Rondebult Road, which joins three major national highways, has been a pain for commuters and businesses for years, causing traffic congestion and detours. The road closure affects over 40,000 vehicles daily, resulting in estimated transport costs of over R1 billion per year, East Coast Radio reports.
In a uniquely cheeky “Only in Mzansi” protest, Ekurhuleni councillor Simon Lapping and local ward councillor Marius de Vos hosted a birthday ceremony for the 20-metre-deep sinkhole recently.
Locals came together to “celebrate” the sinkhole’s anniversary with a chocolate cake that was decorated to look just like the road, complete with a massive hole to represent the sinkhole.
According to The Citizen, Alti Fouche of Silla Speciality Cakes delivered the birthday cake, joking that it’s the first time they’ve delivered a cake to a sinkhole.
“We usually deliver cakes with singing fairygrams, but to parties and people who are celebrating special occasions. Today is the first time that we’re delivering a cake to a sinkhole. It’s very exciting, happy birthday sinkhole,” Fouche said.
According to Ekurhuleni spokesperson Zweli Dlamini, the repairs come with a price tag of R150 million, and although the municipality wants to repair the sinkhole, it cannot due to a lack of funds.
So while the future remains uncertain and some efforts are being made to raise funds, the residents have turned the infrastructural disaster into a reason to at least have some cake and share a good laugh!
Watch The Citizen News’ report on the birthday event below:
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