Ribombo replies on pool progress
"We just agreed with mayor at the time, as we hoped for further funding for the project at a later stage," Prince Ribombo, Project manager at Van Riebeeck Park swimming pool.
NELSPRUIT – Following media pressure to inform the public and swimming fraternity on the progress of the Van Riebeeck Park swimming pool project, Mbombela Local Municipality issued the following statement.
“This gentleman (Mr Prince Ribombo) only happens to be a project manager for this one particular project and not other projects in the pipeline, so he would not know of any other swimming pool projects being planned. When the Executive mayor expressed her wishes about other developments around the pool, Ribombo could not advise her that the current scope of work did not include the wishes of the executive Mayor, so he just agreed, hoping that there was going to be additional funding for those other renovations. The improvements at the pool will be done in phases, owing to availability of funds. This project belongs to the Community Services department in the municipality and only handed over to the Project Management Unit (PMU) for implementation. Budgeting happens at the departmental level, not at implementation.”
Regarding the upgrades to the rest of the facility including the rotting rooftrusses and sanitaryware, Ribombo stated that there wasn’t enough budget to meet all the wishes of the executive mayor. “We might have agreed with the hope that we will receive additional funding on this project. The PMU`s responsibility was to construct the new roof slab only, however, with fewer resources they couldn’t achieve everything that was originally planned as well as the scope of works additions (sic). Community services had only allocated a budget of R 1.7 million for this financial year to utilize on this project and they also emphasised that the pool will be upgraded in phases.”
Are the allegations regarding the proposed new R27 million swimming pool facility to be constructed in Hazyview true? “We will investigate these allegations, as we are not aware of such plans.”
Is the three year plan for Van Riebeeck Park swimming pool still being adhered to? “It is the plan of the municipality to have this facility up to world-class standard. We will continue to budget accordingly each year.”
The uncertainty around this project has had a ripple effect on other institutions dependent on the swimming pool not just as a means of income, but for the implementation of important projects. Ons such programme being the Swimming South Africa (SSA) Learn to Swim Accreditation programme. During the course of this programme, swimming instructors will be educated on the correct way in which to teach children the basic principles of swimming without endangering the lives of the learners or their own. The first installment of the programme was scheduled to start on Friday afternoon at Van Riebeeck swimming pool.
“We have to get the programme underway as there have been many instances where children have drowned because their swimming instructors were not SSA accredited and did not follow the correct procedures while teaching them,” said ms Ronel Bekker, Implementation Officer of Mpumalanga Swimming. “The first course was to start on Friday, 13 September. But the pool is still empty so we are unsure of whether this will take place or not.”
Council has still not been able to announce a definite date of completion for this alleged first phase of the Van Riebeeck project.
“I suppose we will just have to wait and see?”
