This is not the first time swimming pools have been closed in eThekwini due to lack of cleansing chemicals. Image: Pexels
29 public swimming pools closed in eThekwini due to lack of cleansing chemicals
A number of public swimming pools in the eThekwini Municipality have reportedly been closed due to lack of cleansing chemicals.
This is not the first time swimming pools have been closed in eThekwini due to lack of cleansing chemicals. Image: Pexels
At least 29 swimming pools in the City of eThekwini remain closed due to a shortage of cleansing chemicals, reportedly.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in eThekwini has since called on the eThekwini Municipality Head of Parks, Recreation and Culture Department, Dr. Simphiwe Ndlovu to urgently procure much-needed swimming pools cleansing chemicals as the holiday season is fast approaching.
SWIMMING POOLS CLOSED IN ETHEKWINI
The DA’s Councillor, Mzamo Billy said this is not the first time that residents have been denied the use of swimming pools due to the same issue.
Billy said it is believed that the current shortage of chemicals is because of an administrative issue within the Supply Chain Management Department and the newly implemented SSS procurement processes.
“Although the DA supports procurement processes to ensure that rampant corruption is eliminated, we are also highly concerned with how this process is being administered that has caused unnecessary, critical delays.
“Our city should not be in a situation where essential products are unavailable because they could not find a “preferred” supplier. We need to be focusing on the BEST supplier with little to no inconvenience to our residents.”
Mzamo Billy
In a recent podcast Head of eThekwini Parks, Recreation and Culture (PRC) in eThekwini Municipality Dr Simphiwe Ndlovu said the city was working on fixing the swimming pools that were out of operation in the city.
Ndlovu said 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.
The DA also said it is concerned that although many of the beaches in eThekwini have been reopened due to lower E. coli readings, there are no guarantees that this will not change given the status-quo regarding the city’s sewage infrastructure woes.
“E. coli counts on both our riverine systems and beaches could change in the near future. In the very real situation that beaches are closed, where do our residents and visitors go?” Billy asked.
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