Joburg’s public pools crisis — delays, neglect and empty promises during the summer heatwave

The City of Johannesburg initially said 36 pools would be open from 1 October, following delays due to “compliance and maintenance issues” that prevented pools from opening on 1 September, the traditional start of the summer swimming season.

In a statement on 1 October, it announced there would be a “phased reopening” of 35 facilities (one fewer than promised in August), starting with an initial group of 15 pools.

But only 13 pools opened on 7 October, with Community Development MMC Thapelo Amad saying they had lifeguards on standby: Linden, Blairgowrie, Florida Lake, Jabulani (new pool), Orlando, Pimville, Meadowlands, Zoo Lake, Pioneer Park, Rhodes Park, Lenasia South, Eldorado Park Ext 3 and Lenasia Ext 2.

Seven more have since opened: Rabie Ridge, Verity Park, Roosevelt Park, Davidsonville, Noordgesig, Paterson Park and Eldorado Park Ext 4.

Linden and Pimville are heated pools that are supposed to be open all year round.

‘Major hurdles substantially resolved’

Amad said the City would continue to monitor the readiness of all swimming pool facilities and provide further updates as additional pools become operational. However, there is no time frame for the opening of the remainder of the pools.

“With most major hurdles substantially resolved, the City’s focus has shifted towards maximising operational capacity, sustaining uninterrupted operations, maintaining safety standards and ensuring reliable service delivery ahead of the peak swimming season in November and December,” he said.

GroundUp reported that tenders for pool chemicals closed only in mid-September, even though the pools were supposed to open at the beginning of that month.

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There have also been delays in appointing staff. Adverts in June set a new minimum educational requirement of Grade 12, which excluded many former staff members. The positions were readvertised at the beginning of September without the requirement.

Amad said the City’s phased-in approach of reopening swimming pools was working “and we anticipate opening 13 additional swimming pools by Monday 19 October, bringing the total to 33”.

While pools don’t open on Mondays, those that should be opening this week are Dobsonville, Jabavu, Diepkloof, Power Park, Senaone, Sydenham, East Bank, Turffontein, Forest Hill, Crown Gardens, Yeoville, Malvern and Lenasia Ext 10.

Amad said a bulk chemical delivery on 13 October, the planned completion of seasonal lifeguard hiring, and ongoing maintenance had accelerated pool reopenings. He added that 140 lifeguards and 40 cashiers had already been deployed.

He identified problematic pools as Roodepoort – where the substation serving the pool is faulty – and Florida North, where a burned-out circuit breaker and related electrical cable theft had delayed the opening. 

Coronationville

The heated pool in Coronationville – one of only five in the city – is currently lime green due to a faulty pump motor. According to local activist Faadiel Ayob, the facility has been non-functional for several weeks.

He said the ward councillor had been informed that there are electrical problems at the pool and a contractor had been appointed to fix the switchgear in the plant room.

In addition to the pump problem, the pool has been hired out to the production company Penguin Films, which is shooting the television series Diepe Waters at the pool. Residents have repeatedly complained that they have no access to the pool while the series is being filmed.

City spokesperson Ayanda Radebe confirmed the City had a contract with the production company, which uses the pool “for three to five days per month only”.

Radebe said filming was strictly restricted to weekdays and residents had full access to the facility on weekends and throughout the remainder of the month.

 She said the value of the contract exceeds R200,000 over the financial year. “The final amount fluctuates depending on the exact number of days the facility is used each month. Charges are calculated based on the daily use rate set out in the City’s annual tariff report,” she said.

Radebe said all revenue generated by the facility was paid directly into the City of Joburg account and the funds were reallocated through standard council processes to benefit the broader community of Johannesburg.

The Ivory Park pool is ready but remains closed due to community-related challenges, including employment demands and associated security concerns. These matters, which also involve broader stakeholder considerations, are being addressed to enable the facility to achieve full operational readiness and open safely to the public, said Amad.

The new Drieziek pool is expected to open once the outstanding snag-list items have been completed. 

“Ongoing electricity supply interruptions and water-related challenges in some areas continue to affect pool preparation and reopening. These remain operational risks, with affected facilities dependent on the relevant city entities for resolution,” said Amad.

‘Essential community assets’

Lyrics Mazibuko, the DA’s shadow MMC for community development, said while the reopening of these facilities was welcome, residents deserve to know why the City repeatedly struggles to prepare its swimming pools for the summer season.

“Swimming pools are essential community assets, not seasonal luxuries. They provide affordable recreation, promote healthy lifestyles, support sporting development and give children access to swimming and water-safety education, particularly in disadvantaged communities.

“The real concern is not simply how many pools the City can reopen, but whether it can maintain them safely and consistently throughout the season. Delayed recruitment, outstanding compliance requirements and recurring maintenance failures point to a broader problem of planning, asset management and accountability,” he said.

Mazibuko said the municipality must also recognise that swimming pools cannot remain sustainable if maintenance is continually deferred until infrastructure deteriorates beyond routine repair. DM