English soundbite by Cllr Lyrics Mazibuko
- Joburg missed its 1 October deadline to reopen public pools due to maintenance and recruitment failures.
- Closures deny communities, especially children, affordable recreation and safe swimming spaces.
- The DA demands accountability and clarity on whether pools will reopen this year.
The City has missed its deadline to reopen public swimming pools on 1 October 2026 because of mismanaged maintenance and a failed first recruitment process for seasonal lifeguards and cashiers.
The City has published a re-advertisement after the first advertisement failed to attract enough qualified candidates.
This recruitment failure points to a collapse in monitoring, planning, and preparation.
Opening public pools is a seasonal and predictable responsibility.
Recruitment, vetting, and appointment of lifeguards and cashiers should have been completed well before the swimming season, rather than becoming an obstacle when communities already expect these facilities to open.
Additionally, the city pools have not been adequately maintained due to the gross mismanagement of funds that continues to plague the City.
This delay directly affects communities across Johannesburg, particularly children and young people who rely on municipal swimming pools for recreation.
For many families, these pools are not simply recreational facilities — they are affordable and accessible public spaces where residents strengthen their swimming skills, exercise, and spend their school holidays safely.
What is particularly concerning is the uncertainty this creates about whether residents will have access to the City’s swimming pools this year at all, with only one month left until elections.
Every additional delay shortens the swimming season and effectively denies residents access to facilities that they are entitled to use.
The ANC/EFF/PA/Al Jama-ah-led coalition has failed Joburg residents who regularly use these facilities.
If elected to govern, we will implement the DA’s Adopt-a-Public Space program, in accordance with our 2026 Manifesto, partnering with responsible private sector organisations to restore and maintain Johannesburg’s public pools. Our manifesto commits to partnerships that maintain, upgrade, and improve public spaces such as libraries, parks, pools, and sporting facilities.
By restoring public facilities and attracting private investment, we will help stimulate local economic activity and create job opportunities.
The City needs to take responsibility for its failure and give residents an honest answer on whether pools will reopen this year.