A major win for the Blairgowrie community and surrounding areas unfolded as the City of Johannesburg allowed the official opening of the Blairgowrie swimming pool on September 5.

Despite the city rescheduling the opening of the swimming season to October 1, the Blairgowrie pool is open and ready for use. The City of Johannesburg’s MMC for Community Development, Thapelo Amad, explained that city pools will open on a phased basis as they are confirmed ready and safe for public use. “I am therefore pleased to announce that the Blairgowrie swimming pool is ready to open and will welcome the community from September 5,” said Amad.

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The pool was restored and maintained by the Blairgowrie Community Association (BCA), which confirmed it was ready for opening on September 1. “Blairgowrie has shown that when communities take ownership of their public spaces and government works alongside them, we can deliver facilities that are well maintained, sustainable and meaningful to the people they serve,” Amad said. “The city is deeply grateful for this partnership, and we commend the Blairgowrie community for setting such a positive example.”

Ward 102 councillor Bea Campbell-Cloete said the opening was a major win for the community, which worked tirelessly to ensure the pool was ready. Disappointed by the delay and the way the city handled the issue, she said there was a need for better planning. “We need involvement in the departments we are meant to manage,” Campbell-Cloete said. “The city has to do better. I am outraged that the city does not know what is happening with the facilities. They have known that they would not open but waited until the day before the opening to inform the public and then had a blanket approach instead of ensuring the pools that were ready to open, could open.”

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BCA co-chairperson Harold Fleishman confirmed that the pool opened on September 5, but inclement weather stopped residents from swimming. “The weather was bad and we did not have any residents coming to the facility. However, everything is ready, lifeguards are present and the area is clean and ready for the community. We are expecting more people in the coming weekend.”

Randburg Sun contacted the City of Johannesburg concerning the specific claims made by Campbell-Cloete. Their response will be published once made available.

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