City dives into festive season pool safety

THE City is expected to employ an additional 47 ‘pool buddies’ at swimming pools throughout the eThekwini region, to combat the number of drownings experienced at this time of year. The announcement was made by City Mayor, Zandile Gumede, when she unveiled the municipality’s festive season safety plan this week.

Gumede said 65 lifeguards will be on duty to ensure the safety of swimmers between 6am – 9pm each day. In addition, wrist bands will be issued to each child in the event that the child is separated from its guardian. The wrist bands will have to be on before they enter the beachfront area and must contain the contact details of the child’s parent or guardian.

There will also be 28 childminders who have been employed to look after children who have become separated from their parents or guardians. They will look after the children until such time that they are reunited with their parents or guardians.

City Communications Head, Tozi Mthethwa, added that beach-goers must swim between designated safe swimming zones, which will be marked with cones.