Following years of pressure from the DA, the eThekwini Municipality has finally come to the party, reopening the popular Rachel Finlayson Pool, which has been closed since August 2015.
Although this should have happened sooner, the DA is pleased that the thousands of holidaymakers who’ve descended onto Durban will have an added experience to their visit.
For over three years, we have been calling for the repair and reopening of the pool. Raising the issue at various council meetings and responding to public queries on the closure of the pool.
The closure of most of the pools at our beaches forced people to swim in the ocean, which put lifeguards in the difficult situation of not having adequate resources and being overrun with rescue calls.
This victory belongs not just to the DA but also to our devoted lifeguards, who are in charge of making sure swimmers are safe.
While the ANC-led government of eThekwini may spend the next 12 months celebrating this small victory as its own, there is still more work ahead.
It is important to keep in mind that the municipality has been responsible for the closure of beaches owing to E. coli contamination as well as the failure to maintain and fix our pools.
As we did in 2022, the DA will keep upping the pressure on Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda to provide services to the residents of eThekwini.