With summer days here, the City of Cape Town has begun with reopening some of its community swimming pools.
The department has 37 swimming pools across the metro –
five are open year-round, i.e. the indoor facilities in Blue Downs, Long
Street, Retreat and Strand; and the seawater pool in Sea Point. Twenty-two
pools are already open and following completion of scheduled works, a total of
29 pools will be open by end of November, and 36 by 12 December for the school
holidays.
PICTURE: PixabayMMC for Community Services & Health, Francine Higham,
said the Vulindlela swimming pool in Gugulethu remains closed indefinitely
pending major upgrades currently in planning stages.
Pools opened to the public for the season thus far are Athlone,
Atlantis, Bellville Central, Bonteheuwel, Brown's Farm, Eastridge, Elsies
River, Emthonjeni, Hanover Park, Kuils River Resort (for resort patrons only),
Langa, Lentegeur, Morningstar, Muizenberg, Observatory, Parow North and
Trafalgar. Operating times are 10:00 – 18:00, with the last ticket sold at
17:30.
Higham said seven swimming pools - Delft, Khayelitsha,
Newlands, Parow Valley, Ravensmead, Ruyterwacht and Westridge – are scheduled
to open in November. Meanwhile, seven others - Bellville South, Goodwood,
Kensington, Manenberg, Mnandi, Monwabisi and Wynberg – will open in December.
‘’Some facilities cannot reopen immediately due to ongoing
maintenance and upgrade projects. The upgrades vary by site and include
structural, civil and mechanical plant room repairs, maintenance and upgrades.
The City is committed to providing quality, safe facilities to its residents
and the Recreation and Parks Department is working closely with contractors to
ensure that timelines are adhered to,’’ said Francine Higham, Mayoral Committee
Member for Community Services and Health.
‘’Annually, community swimming pools are generally open
between late October and the Easter weekend. Normal operating hours are
weekends only, due to much lower demand during the work/school week, and then
seven-day operations during the peak festive season, from 1 December,’’ she
said.
PICTURE: PixabayThe MMC said the Sea Point Swimming Pool remains open to
the public while upgrades to its iconic entrance continue, funded by the Friends
of Sea Point Pavilion.
‘’The renovation cost is currently estimated at
approximately over R1,8 million raised from the food court initiative. Visitors
are advised to take care around the upgrade area, which is expected to be
completed before the builders' holiday in December 2025. Improvements include
renovations to windows, doors and woodwork, interior painting and the
construction of a new cash room. The project aims to enhance the look and feel
of the entrance hall while preserving the character of the much-loved facility.’’
Higham said over 490 senior and seasonal lifeguards across
its pools and beaches, has been deployed with an additional 67 bolstering this
total in December, as part of its summer readiness plan.
Residents are encouraged to monitor the City's official
communication channels for updates on pool availability and ongoing upgrades.
Done By: Elona Sibunzi
Comments