Revamped Hambanathi pool reopened
Excitement filled the air in the community of Hambanathi, oThongathi, when Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda reopened the Hambanathi swimming pool last Friday. The pool had been closed for several months due to damage caused by the flooding last year and subsequent vandalism.
Mr Kaunda said the swimming pool was initially closed because of the water crisis in oThongathi following the April 2022 floods that damaged the pump station.
“The floods last year caused severe damage to infrastructure which resulted in the malfunctioning of many facilities in the city, including pools,” he said.
“We had to shut down the operations – this swimming pool was also vandalised by community members. It was in bad shape and a lot of work has gone into refurbishing this pool. We want to see swimming champions coming from rural areas. This is an investment to promote sport and for young talent to create sporting careers for themselves.”
Mr Kaunda added that the city was happy to have completed the work in the Hambanathi area. However, he said, there were some pockets of areas in Tongaat not receiving water as expected. He said the technical staff were still working on fixing this problem. Hambanathi and its growing population had to receive another pump to properly service the large community, Mr Kaunda added.
“A great deal of effort was put into refurbishing this pool and I encourage everyone to use this swimming pool, especially the young people. Sports will keep them away from drugs and other bad habits. A healthy body will build a healthy mind,” he said.
The municipality has 54 swimming pools – more than half of which are open, while the others are undergoing necessary repairs. Mr Kaunda said they would continue to build swimming pools, especially in townships and rural areas. They, however, condemn the vandalism of municipal infrastructure and urge communities to protect it as these structures belong to them, said Mr Kaunda.
In addition to Hambanathi, the following pools are open:
- Buffelsdale
- Verulam
- Stanmore
- Rainham
- Durban North
- South Beach Paddling
- Umgababa
- Pipeline Paddling
- Tiger Rocks
- Inyoni
- Ansteys Paddling
- uMlazi D
- Lt King
- Merewent
- Tesoriere
- Tills Crescent
- Bellair
- Alex Bulley
- Lamontville
- Arena Park
- Bayview
- Croftdene
- Lahee Park
- Westville
- Mariannridge
- Nagina
- Kings Park Indoor
- Kings Park Outdoor
- Sutton Park.