Dirty tidal pool upsets swimmers
THE tidal pool at Brighton Beach has allegedly turned into a cesspool due to a lack of maintenance by the ethekwini Municipality.
While beachgoers and concerned stakeholders were angry with the City for neglecting the area, the municipality has argued that its condition was due to Covid-19 protocols.
The tidal pool attracts large crowds of beachgoers due to its location. However, it is now filled with dirty water, sand and litter.
Environmental activist and Bluff resident Barbara Leiman said they were worried about the condition of the pool since it was still open to the public for swimming.
She said it was filthy, a breeding ground for diseases and that other Bluff swimming pools were closed even before the country went into lockdown.
Leiman said city officials had visited the pool about a week ago to assess the situation, but no action was taken.
“The pool has not been maintained for over a year now. The sand is knee deep, which blocks dirty water from flowing out. I have reported this issue to the health and parks department for intervention. It is now a health risk to those who use it in this condition; the pool is stinky and the skin gets itchy after swimming. We have asked the municipality to empty the pool for proper cleaning,” said Leiman.
Beachgoer Gert Martin called for the pool to be cordoned off by the City as people were risking their lives by using it.
“All swimming pools have been closed here – even before lockdown. We have many swimming enthusiasts in the Bluff, and many are old citizens. All they want is to get into the water because this has been part of their lives. We are worried about the City’s failure to fix this problem,” Martin said.
Ward Councillor Zoe Moore said the maintenance of pools and beaches was an ongoing issue in many areas on the Bluff.
“Many of the swimming areas have been closed due to a sewage spill. I have escalated the issue to the national department for intervention, because clearly the municipality has no plan or capacity to deal with the problem. The tidal pool is among many problems in our swimming areas.
“We have not been able to swim since our president opened the beaches. We have also not been able to use the swimming pools throughout summer due to pool chemical contracts not being in place. I have reported this to the pumphouse and asked for intervention. We are a community of beachgoers; beaches are free entertainment for a lot of indigent residents.”
Msawakhe Mayisela, a City spokesperson, cited Covid-19 as a reason why pools were not maintained and remained closed.
He said the municipality acknowledged the public frustration regarding the issue of pools that have not yet been opened.
“We have stated before that although we have graduated to level 1, we have a responsibility to ensure we minimise the spread of the virus. We have realised that opening pools to the public – considering we are an epicentre – could result in them being a breeding ground for the Covid-19 virus.
“We should be mindful that it would be difficult to maintain social distancing when people are swimming in a restricted area such as a pool. This must not be misconstrued to mean we are disregarding our responsibility to meet the needs of the public,” he said.