- Observatory residents are demanding answers from the City of Cape Town about the local swimming pool, which has been closed for renovations for over five years with no reopening date in sight.
- Residents express frustration over the lack of specific feedback and prolonged closure.
- City officials acknowledge ongoing major repairs but cannot provide a definitive reopening date.
Observatory residents are demanding answers from the City of Cape Town regarding the local swimming pool, which was temporarily closed for renovations, and still hasn’t reopened more than five years later.
A quick google search of the facility based in Willow Road leads to a “temporarily closed” red sign.
But resident Janet Cronje and many others want to know how long is temporarily.
Cronje told People’s Post that the much-loved facility was frequented not only by residents in the area but by people from outside the community as well.
She said feedback from the City has not been forthcoming.
“When we spoke to a City official six months ago, we were told that we cannot expect the pool to open within two years because the renovations are so major.
“The pool has now been closed for seven years if they say it won’t be done within two years. That means the pool would be closed for 10 years.”
Cronje said the facility was an asset in the community.
“It was also apparently used by an old age home. It was one of the few pools that had lift function to accommodate someone in a wheelchair. The lift would move the wheelchair into the water. It was being used for therapy purposes. There was a wide range of people who used the pool.”
She said her children often went swimming there.
In the dark
“My children grew up going to the pool regularly over weekends. Even before the pool closed, we as the community were trying to see if we can engage with the city to extend the operating hours especially in summer.
“When it was operating, they used to sell the last ticket to enter the pool at 16:15 and by 16:45 everyone had to be out of the pool. Everyone had to be out by 17:00. Residents wanted to be able to use the pool after 17:00. We didn’t have a positive response from the city regarding that.”
Resident Edwin Angless lives about 100 m from the pool and said he can see construction work taking place, but like everyone else he is in the dark with the plans for the facility.
“The pool was well used. People are always asking when it will reopen.”
Leslie London, Observatory Civic Association chair, said:
London said all they want is clear answers from the city regarding the future of the pool.
“It is not clear to us why a community resource is not being properly serviced. I am sometimes stopped and asked where the Observatory Swimming Pool is, so people are obviously coming to use it.”
Patricia van der Ross, Mayco member for community service and health, said structural repairs to the basin and plant room need to be completed.
“The facility has been prioritised as a major repair type and approximately R2,4 million has been allocated for the 2023-’24 financial year.”
Phased approach
She added that repairs are being conducted in a phased approach.
- Upgrades to the pool basin
- Pipework
- Deck work
- Plant room investigation for phase two
She could not provide a date for the reopening.
“The swimming pool will undergo further investigation once work is completed, to determine the reopening date,” Van der Ross concluded.
