“With the summer holidays on our doorstep, it is a shame that in the Free State there are very few public swimming pools for the children to relax and enjoy the holidays during the summer,” says Werner Pretorius, DA spokesperson for the Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation in the Free State Legislature.
Pretorius says with temperatures rising and schools closing for the December holidays, hundreds of thousands of Free State residents – especially the youth and residents in rural communities – will be left without access to public swimming pools due to poor maintenance by local municipalities.
Most of the municipal swimming pools across the Free State are either closed, dysfunctional, or in a state of disrepair.
Not Dewetsdorp, Bakenpark, Bethlehem, Bethulie, Bloemfontein, Botshabelo, Bultfontein, Edenburg, Excelsior, Ficksburg, Frankfort, Gariepdam, Harrismith, Hobhouse, Jagersfontein, Koppies, Madikgetla, Marquard, Parys, Petrusburg, Reitz, Tweeling, Vrede, Wepener, nor Winburg have public pools in working order.
“Safe recreational facilities, such as public swimming pools, greatly benefit the entire community – especially the youth – during summer holidays. It will also keep youths off the streets and away from illicit activities such as drugs and crime,” Pretorius continues.
“Public recreational facilities like municipal swimming pools play a major role in fighting social and economic ills and have proven to foster social cohesion and a sense of belonging.”
According to Pretorius, residents suffer the consequences of the lack of effective planning and political will, as well as financial mismanagement in local governments.
