MMC for Community Development, Nonhlanhla Sifumba, will pay an inspection visit to the City of Johannesburg’s swimming pools and recreational facilities in the coming month.
Sifumba said this initiative helps ensure that all repairs and maintenance that needed to be carried out have been carried out. The visits also follow up where there are issues that may lead to the pools not opening on 1 September as expected.
Most City pools are open during the spring and summer seasons, from 1 September to 31 March of the following year. The heated pools are opened throughout the year, but there are only a few of these.
Last year, the MMC said, her oversight and follow-up visits led to over 90 per cent of the pools opening on 1 September.
“The 90 per cent achievement last year was quite encouraging and heartening as it demonstrated to our residents the resolve of the City to offer professional services with pride and to offer them services that are pro-poor. This year I have revised the target upward, and aim to ensure that at least 95 per cent of the pools are opened at the beginning of the swimming season,” she said.
The oversight of the pools will be even bigger this year, however, as Sifumba will be combining them with the oversight of the recreation centres.
“The City has decentralised the repairs and maintenance function to the owners of the facilities to ensure that the required repairs are carried out with the urgency they deserve. This is a challenge, but it is one we are going to tackle head-on for the benefit of our residents.”
The oversight will be conducted per region due to the vast number of pools and facilities across the City.
