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A swimming facility built to give Motherwell’s children a safe place to learn, play and compete has been left at the mercy of vandals.
This has led the DA to accuse the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality of failing to protect public infrastructure.
On Thursday, DA MPLs Retief Odendaal and Kabelo Mogatosi, with councillor Mxolisi Breakfast, visited the Raymond Mhlaba Swimming Pool in Motherwell.
Odendaal said the city had previously indicated its intention to get the pool up and running by December.
However, he remained sceptical that this could be achieved.
“They’re never going to because it’s going to cost a couple of million to do the reinstatement.
“The reason I came here is that our municipal infrastructure is being targeted, and there’s no comprehensive plan to safeguard municipal infrastructure against organised vandalism and criminals.
“We will never be able to make progress in this city if we spend money to reinstate the same infrastructure over and over.
“That’s why we need to be able to have a comprehensive plan to safeguard our existing assets and prevent further damage to infrastructure.
“It’s not unique to swimming pools, but all infrastructure.
“If a facility is left without security, people will come in and destroy it.
“Every facility must have some kind of system, whether an alarm system or a warm body, but in a facility like this, you need warm bodies to man it,” he said.
According to the DA, guards posted at the facility clock out at 5pm, leaving the place unsupervised at night.
Years ago, facilities across the metro began to deteriorate and fall victim to vandalism after the decision was made to insource security guards.
Without an approved organogram, numerous facilities had inadequate oversight.
This resulted in major shortcomings in safeguarding critical infrastructure such as community halls and swimming pools.
Another example similar to the Motherwell swimming pool is the KwaNobuhle Multipurpose Centre stripped bare.
At the Motherwell swimming pool, the old ticket counter has been stripped of its cupboards and lights.
Chairs are strewn across the floor near a broken door.
Paving has been removed. Tiles are thrown across the uncut grass.
The pool is filled with green water, and trash blocks the pool pumps.
The children’s pool is green, with rubbish inside.
Odendaal said that, for the past six years, children attending both primary and high schools had been unable to access a swimming pool in their own neighbourhood.
“If they were unable to go to Zwide, Kwazakhele and New Brighton, sadly, they would not have had the opportunity to grow up enjoying a municipal facility like this.”
Meanwhile, the Learn-To-Swim indoor swimming pool, built during the 2018/2019 financial year for R4.5m, has been left in ruin.
Roof sheets have been stripped from the structure. The entrance has been welded shut to prevent further vandalism.
Breakfast said the DA had been applying pressure for funding.
“The effects of crime have been harming community facilities.
“This facility produced world champions, and it’s disappointing that a facility of this magnitude hasn’t been functional for six years.
“This has a detrimental effect on the kids because during the summer season, they walk to the Swartkops River and they drown there because there are no lifeguards.
“We’re going to exert more pressure on the city to allocate more funding so that this facility is functional during the summer season,” Breakfast said.
Sport, recreation, arts and culture political head Sinebhongo Kwatsha said she was in a meeting when contacted.
She did not comment by the time of publication.
Municipal spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya did not respond to a request for comment.
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