While municipal swimming pools across Nelson Mandela Bay continue to deteriorate, the 2025/26 municipal draft budget proposes upgrades to only three of the metro’s pools.
This draft budget, compiled by the failing and ineffective ANC/EFF coalition government, elected to govern and propped up by smaller proxy parties such as the PA, allocates R5,25 million for upgrades to three pools. These pools include Newton Park (R3,35 million), Raymond Mhlaba in Motherwell (R1 million), and St George’s Park (R900,000).
The fact that only three pools have been singled out for upgrades highlights the administration’s unwillingness to ensure the fair allocation of funds. Once again, this coalition is also neglecting the Northern Areas, with no swimming pools in this part of the city slated for upgrades.
For years, the DA has consistently fought for a fair and equitable distribution of pool funding across all wards and has called for the inclusion of swimming pool upgrades and maintenance in the metro’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP). However, the ANC-led coalition, supported by its smaller allies, has repeatedly ignored the worsening state of these facilities.
Today, we conducted an oversight inspection at the Raymond Mhlaba Swimming Pool in Motherwell and we were shocked to find the extreme level of disrepair. Although the main pool is still salvageable before the start of the summer season, the smaller Learn-to-Swim indoor swimming pool has been totally vandalised. This project, which was completed in 2018 under a DA-led government, cost R4.5 million to build, but has now been left to go to wrack and ruin.
[see pictures here, here and here]
We also conducted an oversight visit to the West End Swimming Pool, which did not receive budget allocation. We found it needs urgent maintenance. We have committed to repairing razor wire on the walls, replacing roof sheeting, cutting grass, and looking into fixing the children’s pool pump.
[see pictures here, here and here]
Our NMB Caucus will submit a motion to Council for the municipality to immediately secure our swimming pool facilities by making use of the Expanded Public Works Program (EPWP) workers as overnight guards. The motion will also call on Council to ensure that there is a fair allocation of funds to all pool facilities.
The DA will continue to fix what we can from our own pockets until the metro’s voters give us a majority in government in the next election. We will turn Nelson Mandela Bay around, just as we have done in other cities where voters have entrusted us with a majority.