It is a splash for local children

KwaThema – Swimming skills have become one of the important skills every child should have due to the number of children who have drowned in the recent months.

Kwatsaduza is not an exception to this as there are swimming pools available to citizens in the three areas with easy access for the children.

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Unfortunately, these centres do not offer children swimming lessons to equip them with the much-needed skills, even though there are life guards stationed at the facilities.

Visiting the swimming pools over the weekend, the children who clearly enjoy the freedom of being inside the water could be seen either sitting or standing by the swimming edges as they feared drowning, while others could be seen jumping in and out of the pool to enjoy a good splash.

A source who worked in one of the swimming facilities in kwatsaduza, but didn’t want to named confirmed that the life guards stationed at these facilities are meant to ensure that no child drowns inside the facilities.

“We also carry out first-aid functions should any of the children get injured while within the premises.

“Should anyone or a parent be interested in learning how to swim, they have to pay for private lessons.

“Schools in the area are also encouraged to book the pools to conduct private swimming lessons.

“Unfortunately, we are not allowed to teach the children swimming lessons without their parents’ concern,” she explains.

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Concerned parent Maria Nkosi says she would be happy to see her son learning how to swim.

“Every weekend he asks me for R2 to go swim at KwaThema Swimming Pool at the KwaThema sports council. “Because I would like to see him learn how to swim I agree to it.

“This gives him the opportunity to be off the streets, but I still worry that he might one day drown because he doesn’t have any swimming skills,” she says.