McKenzie tells officials to fix Karoo community pools for kids
CENTRAL Karoo District mayor Gayton McKenzie is not one to mince his words.
This week, the Patriotic Alliance leader slammed officials for what he calls wasting money.
McKenzie took to social media to say officials should rather fix community pools.
“I look at the joy and bliss on the faces of these kids and I know we did the best thing by fixing the pools. These kids could have been roaming the streets, but are now swimming and teaching others to swim. Officials should stop this unnecessary travelling and use that money 2 fix pools (sic),” he shared in a post on social media.
McKenzie was speaking following the opening of a pool in Beaufort West in the Western Cape.
He said the pool had not been fixed in eight years.
“Politics must be about the needs of the people, and not slogans,” McKenzie said.
He said the Carltonville swimming pool is a beautiful place and could still be rescued from further damage.
McKenzie had embarked on a project to fix swimming pools in the area to get children off the street.
“The government failed to fix the pools; it is going to waste. Many amongst us were taught to swim in these pools, but today it looks like hell.
“We can do it and we will do it. Patriots make this a team effort, stop wanting to take the shine alone, be a leader and include majority people, some will clean, some will bring skills, some will give money, some will prepare food for the workers, but all of us shall volunteer,” he said.
Last month, McKenzie availed himself to help Eskom iron out load shedding woes.
In a Facebook post, he outlined how the Central Karoo was the most suitable place in South Africa to be used to create renewable energy.
The region has good sun during the day, wind at night, vast tracts of land and evacuation capacity.
Before that, he caused a stir on social media when he said he would not hesitate to switch off a foreign national’s oxygen supply to save a South African life.