North swimming pool closure met with outrage
Despite upgrades and maintenance last year, the metro has confirmed that the facility remains indefinitely closed due to Level 1 water restrictions.
The Pretoria North public swimming pool, once a vibrant hub for families, schools, and recreational swimmers, now stands locked and silent due to Level 1 water restrictions.
The Level 1 water restrictions have been imposed on residents since October 2024.
The north of Pretoria recreational facility remains closed in April, and its future is uncertain, despite upgrades and maintenance last year.
The closure has raised questions about why a public asset that underwent improvements as recently as early 2024 is now out of use, with no clear timeline for reopening.
Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo confirmed the indefinite closure, stating, “The swimming pool has been closed indefinitely due to Level 1 water restrictions.
“Operating hours will be communicated once the moratorium on water has been lifted,” said Mashigo.
The explanation has left a Pretoria North resident frustrated, especially given that the metro had spent time and resources refurbishing the facility.
Kagiso Mohlala was hopeful that the upgrades would result in a fully operational pool, but instead, the gates are locked without communication.
“It doesn’t make sense. I mean the pool was fixed up, cleaned and looked ready to go; and then nothing.
“There are children who need swimming lessons, people who use it for exercise, and now we have no idea when it will open again,” said Mohlala.
Mashigo said maintenance was carried out last year as part of the standard upkeep of the facility, and there are no challenges with the maintenance resources.
But upkeep without access means little to those who rely on the pool for recreation, sport, or even survival skills.
Before the refurbishments, the Pretoria North main pool on President Steyn Street was closed for almost seven months due to extensive renovations.
Mashigo previously mentioned that the first phase of the renovations had commenced in the 2022/23 financial year.
“Renovations were to continue in the new financial year in July 2023, however, the labour unrest affected the schedule, and as a result, repairs, which included revamping the swimming pool floor, only started on November 8,” said Mashigo.
He said that due to the pool being old, it was affected by leaks, and wall and tile cracks.
“The teams had to extensively fix the leaks, and their work included tiling the pool walls, revamping and sandblasting the pool floor to remove the old surface and repairing all old cracks on the floor.”
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