Most public pools will be ready for summer
Not all public pools to open on 1 September
With Spring around the corner, it is time to enjoy the warmer days by lazing around the swimming pool, and, if you do not have your own pool, why not visit a public swimming pool?
The City of Johannesburg boasts 59 public swimming pools across all its regions, and on 1 September 40 of them will be ready for residents to cool off in.
The Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Community Development, councillor Nonhlanhla Sifumba, recently conducted site visits at all the public swimming pools, to assess their state of readiness ahead of the swimming season. “Of the 59 pools, 14 will unfortunately not open on 1 September as they are still undergoing minor repairs. Five other pools will remain closed for an indefinite period as a result of vandalism, ongoing construction or structural effects,” she said.
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The MMC’s overall view after the site visits was, however positive, and she said she was impressed with the condition of the majority of the public pools. She also thanked the caretakers who had gone beyond the call of duty to ensure their readiness. “The public pools play an important role in keeping children off the streets when they are not in school, and the look on their faces when they take a splash in one of the pools is priceless. I thank the residents for the role they played in reclaiming these facilities to ensure a safe place for their children to play,” she said.
The public swimming pools located in Region C that will be opening on 1 September are in Florida North and at Florida Lake. Unfortunately, the Davidsonville and Roodepoort swimming pools will not be opening their gates due to some issues.
The councillor for Ward 71, René Benjamin, said that Davidsonville’s pool will most likely only be ready to open during December or January. “The entire filter system will have to be replaced,” she said.
According to Gert Niemand, councillor for Ward 84, Roodepoort’s swimming pool will only be ready for residents during the December holiday. “I joined the MMC during the site visit and it became apparent that the swimming pool will definitely not be ready to open on 1 September. There is major repair work to be done in the main pool, as well as maintenance in both the female and male bath- and locker-rooms,” Gert said.
The MMC concluded by saying, “All the pools cater for both adults and children and most of them also offer swimming lessons. To ensure residents’ safety, all the pools have one or more qualified lifeguards, as well as superintendents, supervisors, cloakroom attendants and cashiers (where admission is not free).”
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at roodepoortrecord@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
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