DURBAN - Dr Simphiwe Ndlovu, the Head of eThekwini Parks, Recreation and Culture (PRC) in eThekwini Municipality, says the city was working on fixing the swimming pools that were out of operation in the city, including the Rachel Finlayson pool at the beachfront.
Speaking during a podcast, eThekwini Matters, which was shared by the city’s Facebook page, Ndlovu said the unit was recently berated by the city manager Musa Mbhele over the challenges with the pools.
“The city manager came (down) on us like a ton of bricks two days ago regarding the swimming pools,” he said.
He said of the city’s pools, 30 of them are working, while 13 were affected by the floods in April, and others were affected after they were drained during the lockdown.
He mentioned the Rachel Finlayson pool, which has been beset by issues for a number of years, and the Kings Park pool, which was receiving attention.
Ndlovu said that during the Covid-19 pandemic ,when the pools were closed, some were drained, and this led to challenges.
“The main focus is to fix all the swimming pools. We want to fix all the pools (across the city). We must have functional swimming pools in uMlazi, Clermont and everywhere.”
He said functional pools across the city were needed, as “it's not only about the hot weather but also about the development of the swimming skills. We want our kids to enjoy those pools.”