Durban – eThekwini Metro has promised to fix municipal swimming pools along the Durban beachfront in the coming days. This comes following complaints from residents about the state of the city’s pools.
In October, head of eThekwini parks, recreation and culture, Dr Simphiwe Ndlovu said the City was working on fixing the swimming pools that were out of operation, including the Rachel Finlayson pool on the beachfront.
On Monday, Kaunda said a contractor had been appointed and repairs to the pool are imminent.
The pool has not been operational for a while, much to the disappointment of residents and visitors, but that is soon to be a thing of the past. Acknowledging the public’s frustration, Kaunda said the pool will be up and running again soon.
“In addition, officials are also finalising the appointment of a contractor to repair the Children’s Amusement Centre pool, also on the beachfront,” the mayor said.
He added that the public can use the South Beach paddling pool, which is operational.
“In addition, the Kingspark indoor and outdoor pools are also operational and are close to the beachfront. Across the municipality a further 22 pools are operational. They are Rainham, Durban North, Pipeline, Tiger Rocks, Anstey’s, Westville, Stanmore, uMlazi D, LT King, Bayview, Arena Park, Alex Bulley, Lamontville, Lahee Park, Ntuzuma, Sutton Park, Tesoriere, Mariannridge, Tills Crescent, Croftdene, Bellair and Umgababa,” Kaunda said.
Last week, Kaunda unveiled the City’s festive season programme where he announced that “Durban is open for business”.
Kaunda said most of the City’s beaches were open and safe for swimming.
He revealed that the City has partnered with Talbot Laboratories to ensure that the quality of water is constantly tested.
Mayor Kaunda in action. EThekwini festive season was officially launched today.
All safety measures are in place in order for our visitors to have a memorable stay.
For ideas on attractions to explore in Durban, search: https://t.co/0eZl1829Cr cc: Durban Tourism
Woz' eDurban pic.twitter.com/pFjfev8JED
“We have agreed to compare and share our results publicly,” Kaunda said.
The uMhlanga Main and Bronze beaches were also opened.
All plans are in place for the festive season. We are ready to host visitors. More beaches are open and we have a lot to offer to residents and visitors. Today, eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda demonstrated his swimming skills to officially declare festive season open.Woz'eDurban. pic.twitter.com/xY0ckhm79r
— eThekwini Municipality (@eThekwiniM) December 1, 2022
Other beaches that are opened and safe for swimming include Point, Ushaka, Wedge, North, Bay of Plenty, Battery, Pipeline, Toti Main, Warner, Umgababa, Anstey’s and Country Club. The eThekwini team will continue to monitor the water quality, the mayor said.
Meanwhile, the City has also announced progress in the coastal sewer pump stations which have been affecting water quality on the beaches.
“The repairs have been completed at many of the coastal pump stations, stopping an overflow into the environment in other areas. Where repairs are not yet complete, teams are doing final touch-ups which include carrying out housekeeping, sump cleaning and fencing repairs,” Kaunda said.
An eThekwini Metro spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said the City is aware of overflows in some areas, resulting from damaged trunk mains whose repairs are not yet complete.
“We continue to frequently monitor the beach water quality to ensure that we make an informed decision for public safety. For the rest of the beaches that are still contaminated, the City is working as fast as it can to finalise repairs,” he said.
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