Toekies pool ‘too small’
The businesses and community members raise concerns about 25 metre long 'olympic' pool.
Companies and residents of Toekomsrus are unhappy about the size of the swimming pool built in their area.
Tim Hogan, a resident of Toekomsrus said the community was promised an olympic-sized pool got the short end of the stick when the pool was built.
According to Nathan Williams, member of the planning committee for the swimming pool project, the pool was supposed to be 50 metres in length but was made only 25 metres in length.
Williams explained that the pool was made smaller due to budget constraints and added the pool’s location on the property was moved to accommodate an extension of the pool once funds are made available.
It’s not a challenge to extend a pool once it’s already there,” he said.
Williams also said he had a problem with the tender process for the project. He and some community members feel that people from Toekomsrus should be given preference in tender processes in their area if the area has people with such skills.
“The contractor they got for the phase one tender is not from Toekomsrus. He’s from Mohlakeng but he’s just a figure head. We Googled the company and found the owner of the business is sitting somewhere in Limpopo,” Williams explained.
He also explained that other contractors from the area who tendered for the project are upset about the so-called external contractor and what they tendered for is not the same as what was done, meaning the size of the pool is significantly smaller than lead on in the tender.
Willams said phase one of the project should be completed by the end of April which is also when it should be opening to the community. The second phase will then commence shortly after.
Williams added, “I will fight for people from the area to benefit in the second phase. With a big project like this, the community needs to benefit.”
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