The Eastbank Swimming Pool is taking strain with thousands of Alex children seeking refuge from the heatwave.
The pool operates from 11am to 4.30pm and by the time it opens, throngs of children have already gathered outside the entrance to enjoy its cool water – and the life savers who monitor them to ensure their safety, have their hands full.
Tebogo Mofokeng an assistant life-saver at the pool said the demand was huge. “With this the only pool for the entire Alexandra, Riverpark, Eastbank and Tsutsumani [areas, there are] thousands of children and there definitely is a need for an additional pool,” Mofokeng said. The demand, he said, will increase when schools close and other residents also look for an option to cool down during the festive season.
To ensure they all get a chance, the children are let in, in groups. Some children who were waiting for their chance to cool down said others lost patience and risked their health by opting for the nearby polluted Jukskei River.
Mofokeng added that the crowding also presented them with problems of theft, with children either mistakenly or deliberately taking other’s clothing. “Some come in dirty swimming gear which risks the health of others while others try to swim in jeans or non-swimming clothes which get damaged,” he concluded.
