Community members from Mthatha will spend the festive season in a different way as the mayor of King Sabatha Dalindyebo Local Municipality, Councillor Nyaniso Nelani, officially opened a swimming pool that had been closed due to vandalism last week.
According to him, this is one of several projects in the pipeline aimed at reviving KSD.
Nelani said the amenities that were revamped include swimming pools for adults and children, a water fountain, a water pump, changing rooms, and fencing of the park.
“This swimming pool is the pride of the people of this municipality. This is one of the important places for the people of KSD and the surrounding areas because it is where they used to meet with their loved ones for different purposes. People came here from different places. It was a meeting place for young and old,” said Nelani.
He said the time had come to bring happiness and to lift the flag of KSD by revamping the facility.
“The reason for the delay was that this facility is very old, so we needed permission from the Heritage Council. When you want to renovate such a structure, you must seek permission first.”
Nelani said they were happy because “the puzzle pieces are now coming together,” as they had promised before.
According to him, they want KSD and Mthatha to be places the community can be proud of, especially by improving important facilities like this one.
He confirmed that the entire project cost R4.5 million, including designs and all work done in the Savoy Gardens area, including the swimming pool site.
“Almost everything you see here is included in that R4.5 million. We are finalising the tariffs. We already have tariffs for opening, but we are busy with a cost-benefit analysis so that we can maintain the facility and continue investing in it.
“We do not want tariffs to be too hard on the community, but at the same time, we must keep the facility sustainable. The analysis will help us ensure suitable tariffs. For now, temporarily, children (3 to 13 years) will pay R17 for access and adults (14 and above) will pay R40.”
Nelani added that the main purpose of reopening the pool is to raise awareness in the community so that they can help protect the facility.
“You know we had this before, and it was vandalised. The awareness today is about protecting this asset. We appeal to community members to guard it jealously because it is their asset. It contributes to their life skills and benefits families beyond just swimming.”
He said they have 24-hour security in place, and restoring safety was the first step in the project.
Nelani confirmed they will continue to prioritise security as it is one of the key issues for KSD.
Director of Smillie Dolphin Swim School & Club, Margaret Sutherland, said she was very excited about what the municipality had done.
“It is going to help me by providing more qualified instructors who can assist people and teach them how to swim and save themselves. Swimming is an important life skill, and it is wise to learn how to swim,” said Sutherland.
