Murray Park swimming pool an eyesore
They were happily playing around the pool, totally unaware of the imminent dangers. The recent rains have filled the pool and children could easily fall in.
The Murray Park swimming pool in Belgravia in a horrendous state of neglect.
The pool is situated on the corner of Berg and Jules Streets. The EXPRESS visited the pool and was confronted by shocking scenes.
From the outside of the pool, which is next to the Murray Park Library, several men stood outside smoking and ran away on noticing the police approaching the door which leads into the pool.
At the entrance, there was a make-shift shack made of white cardboard in the passage. A young boy stood outside the shack chewing on a straw.
There was washing that had been hung out to dry on the walls and anywhere they could place it. There were some women seated on the other side of the pool, making a fire.
The pool itself still has water in it, which has turned green. It appears the pool is sometimes used as a dustbin, as there was not a single bin in sight.
Rubbish was floating on the pool, like nappies, condoms and all sorts of other items. There are weeds growing in the pool. This poses a health risk to all the people who stay there, especially young children.
They were happily playing around the pool, totally unaware of the imminent dangers. The recent rains have filled the pool and children could easily fall in. A man, who wished to remain anonymous, said it was not by choice to stay there.
“No man in his right mind would choose to stay here; it’s our circumstances that lead us here. When you’re homeless, you look for a roof over your head,” said the man. He said he had been staying there since he lost his job at a local factory. According to a local resident, the pool was closed down during the 2005/6/7 seasons.
The EXPRESS sent an enquiry to Ms Dudu Lushaba and Mr Eddie Mokoena, from the City of Johannesburg. No response was received at the time of going to print.
