MMC for Community Development, Nonhlanhla Sifumba, has issued a statement apologising to the residents of the City of Johannesburg for the inconvenience caused by the closure of some of the City’s pools due to a shortage of chemicals.
In the statement, it is reported that of the 55 City pools, 20 had to be closed due to the shortage, leaving 35 pools open to the public.
“This was regrettable. The closure of the pools was notable especially because it occurred during the hottest days in the city,” Said Sifumba.
Sifumba said that the shortage of pool chemicals has been resolved, and the City promises that the shortage will not occur again. The pools are expected to be treated and opened to the public within the next few days.
“I would also like to reassure the residents that the City’s current administration is committed to ensuring that this shortage of chemicals never happens again. This administration is serious about offering a professional service to the people of Johannesburg,” she said.
The City of Joburg is reported to have the largest number of pools than any other municipality in South Africa. All other metropolitan municipalities each have less than 30 pools, while the City of Joburg has more than 55 pools of different sizes and functionality. However, the pools are also old and need continuous maintenance, which was neglected by previous administrations.
“Some pools were closed due to other reasons such as maintenance of filtration systems, electrical faults due to cable theft, electrical down times, burst pipes and leakages,” said Sifumba.
The department conducted site visits to the pools prior to the swimming season to ensure the readiness of the pools. As a result, more than 90 per cent of the pools were ready and functional by 1 September, last year.
The swimming season for the City is from the 1 September to the 31 March. To make up for the time residents lost during the closure of the pools, the City says it will extend the swimming season until the end of April.
