POLOKWANE – This year marks the first time since the city pool was first opened, that it will not be closed for the winter months.
Residents were upset last year because the pool was closed for the majority of the year due to the installation of a heating system which will now allow the pool to remain open so residents can enjoy swimming all year round.
One of the residents, George Mathlala, told BONUS that he for one is happy with the way things are done at the pool because he would like it if his children became more active, adding swimming is a good way to do it.
“I want to thank the municipality for listening to the complaints and assisting residents by giving them a safe place to swim and be active. The added convenience of the pool now being heated is great news so we can stay active even during the winter months,” he said.
One of the organisers of the recent Douth African Schools Swimming Championships, Rob Anderson, said the state of the pool during the competition showed the municipality is doing right by swimming in Limpopo.
He said the pool is one of only a few places where children can learn and better their swimming and the municipality is looking after the swimming future of young people in general in and around Polokwane by providing them with a pool like this.
However, concerns about the pool parking area becoming unsafe and a place where people sold drugs have been resolved by the municipality erecting a fence around the parking area.
This comes after several complaints by residents that the pool parking area had become a place where people no longer felt safe and incidents of public drinking were reported.
Polokwane Municipality Spokesperson, Matshidiso Mothapo, said a fence has been temporarily placed to manage the parking area. “The municipality plans to install a permanent palisade fence to control access to the pool,” he said.
The pool is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00 and Sundays from 11:00 to 14:00.
