Lower Illovo Swimming Pool still not repaired
After numerous phone calls and emails, nothing has been done to fix the problem.
THE sewage that continuously flows at the Lower Illovo Swimming Pool has caused the community to be concerned about their safety.
Bawinile Nxumalo, who is a proportional representative councillor for Ward 109, says that it has created a hazardous environment for the public.
“The community can’t enjoy their pool, and they have to live next to this dangerous mess. I have sent many emails and made numerous phone calls to the eThekwini Municipality, but it has not helped,” said Nxumalo.
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The eThekwini pool maintenance staff cited health concerns because of the sewage stench and stopped reporting for duty, leading to the pool being closed after its water was drained. Sewage can be seen on the premises flowing onto the yard.
One of the residents, Chandreskar Ramsook, condemned what was happening. “This is a health hazard, and it is quite bad,” he said. “The pool is not too far from the Illovo Primary School.”
Questions to eThekwini were not replied to at the time of publication, but the SUN has seen a thread of emails that started in January between different municipal departments about getting the issue resolved. In one of the emails sent in January, Cornelia Ngwenya, who is the Illovo Swimming Pool’s superintendent, raised her concerns to Zola Ndlovu, the eThekwini’s aquatic safety manager. Ngwenya complained that nothing had been done to address the sewage issue that had been raised over the previous four months. According to replies to Ngwenya’s email, the local pump station’s pump was removed for repairs last year and has not been restored.
Since the pool has remained inoperational, some vandalism has occurred on the premises.
