An asset goes to ruin
"It was an asset for the town and enjoyed by all who used to come here."
The future of the municipal swimming pool complex in Ermelo, built in the late 1980s, still seems gloomy after it was closed down and abandoned several years ago.
Since then, it has been severely vandalised and allowed to fall into a derelict state.
Hardly a window pane in the entire complex is still intact, glass doors have been removed or smashed and even roof sheeting has been stolen.
Electrical fittings, pumps and plumbing have long since disappeared.
The pool itself is a filthy mess of garbage and puddles of stagnant water with weeds and grass growing out between the tiles on the bottom of the pool and the surrounding apron.
“It’s truly heart breaking to see the state of the pool now. I used to swim a couple of lengths on most mornings before work and my kids used to enjoy splashing about here on weekends. It was an asset for the town and enjoyed by all who used to come here,” said a long time resident of Ermelo.
When asked about future plans for the swimming pool, municipal spokesman Mr Mandla Zwane said the revamping of the swimming pool had been one the priorities of the municipality.
“However, for the past financial years there was no budget allocated for this purpose. Attempts were however made to source money from different institutions, including the Municipal Infrastructure Grant and the national lottery to name but two, with clear business plans.
Unfortunately our applications were never approved.
The municipality at this stage cannot afford to do the revamping out of its own funds due to financial constraints,” he said.
