Community development MMC Thapelo Amad said the reopening of 36 pools would be phased in subject to operational conditions.
Image for illustrative purposes. Picture: iStock
The Johannesburg municipality has missed the annual reopening date for its public swimming pools.
Spring Day, 1 September, had traditionally been the date at which Johannesburg’s municipal pools would open their gates following the winter break.
While reopening schedules had been phased or limited in recent years, the city had always met the September date for some of its pools.
The municipality announced on Monday that the reopening date would be pushed back to 1 October for all pools, with a staggered reopening to come.
Community development MMC Thapelo Amad apologised for the delay, explaining the swimming pools still needed to meet “health, safety, and operational standards” required for public amenities.
Season extended into April
Amad explained that from October, the opening of 36 public pools would be phased in, but warned the “condition and operational requirements of facilities vary across regions”.
The municipality stated that as a form of compensation, the usual 31 March closing date will be extended into April 2027, subject to weather conditions and demand.
“This would provide residents with additional access to municipal swimming facilities and partially offset the shortened season.
“The city is actively working to resolve outstanding compliance and maintenance tasks over the next month.
“We thank our residents for their patience and understanding as we work to ensure our recreational spaces are safe for everyone this summer”, Amad stated.
Johannesburg’s woes
Executive Director at JoburgCan, Julia Fish, said there appeared to be a “blackhole” in the municipality’s finances as departments were not receiving their intended funding.
“The message to communities is that the city cannot maintain the most basic of functions or perform simple maintenance,” Fish told The Citizen.
She stressed that public facilities were in critical shortages across communities, and urged the municipality to safeguard those that did exist.
“Public facilities do not belong to the City. They are simply the custodians. Parks, pools and libraries for example are some of the top asks in Integrated Development Plan comments.
“Communities need public assets to engage the youth, collaborate with each other and balance lifestyles. Many people also rely on these spaces for work, from lifeguards to coaches,” Fish said.
Communities and private entities with the means to do so have been covering the shortfalls in service delivery, but this required the municipality to meet halfway.
“More and more resident’s associations and community groups are filling the gaps of service delivery in Joburg.
“Adoptions and sponsorships of public spaces is becoming the norm so they can service communities again.
“This is, however, a double taxation burden and can only be sustainable with real co-governance with the municipality and special ratings policies that give money back to the associations subsidising city functions,” Fish advised.
‘Pools are not a luxury’
The missed reopening is the latest administrative hiccup for a municipality limping into the 2026 local government elections.
Among other, refuse removal was delayed by weeks in June due to protesting casual workers, and JRA last week confirmed a delay in phase two of the Lilian Ngoyi Street rebuild to a funding delay.
Democratic Alliance Johannesburg caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku said the missed reopening was another example of residents being neglected by the current administration.
“Public swimming pools are not a luxury. They are community facilities that belong to the residents of Johannesburg.
“Repairs and maintenance should have been planned and completed well ahead of the summer season.
“Children lose opportunities to swim, exercise and participate in recreational activities, while families who cannot afford private facilities are left with even fewer affordable options,” Kayser-Echeozonjoku told The Citizen.
