Cape Town pools open for September school holidays

Cape Town’s public swimming pools will open their doors daily during the September school holidays, giving residents and visitors access to municipal swimming facilities from 23 September to 5 October.

Picture: CoCT/Facebook

The holiday schedule will see most pools operating from 10am to 5pm each day, as the city moves into spring and warmer weather.

The extended hours are intended to provide opportunities for swimming, recreation and outdoor activity during the school break.

The City of Cape Town confirmed the arrangements in a statement issued on Saturday, 19 September, while noting that five facilities will remain closed as maintenance and redevelopment work continues.

The City also reported on the holiday operating schedule and the five facilities that will not reopen during this period.

Five pools will remain closed

The affected facilities are:

• Westridge Swimming Pool
• Bellville Central Swimming Pool
• Mnandi Swimming Pool
• Athlone Swimming Pool
• Vulindela Swimming Pool

At Westridge, Bellville Central, Mnandi and Athlone, major maintenance and improvement work is under way.

The City said the facilities will undergo quality assessments and safety checks once the work has been completed, with reopening to take place on a phased basis.

Reopening dates for those four pools have not yet been confirmed.

Vulindela Swimming Pool has a different timeline, as the facility will remain closed for the summer season while plans for its redesign and redevelopment are being considered.

The daily holiday schedule will not continue throughout the remainder of the year.

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After 5 October, public swimming pools will move to reduced operating hours until 1 December. From then, facilities will operate from 1pm to 5pm on Wednesdays to Fridays, and from 10am to 5pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

This means residents planning a visit after the school holidays will need to account for the revised weekday hours.

The City’s Recreation and Parks Department is also preparing for the busier summer and festive-season period, with seasonal lifeguard appointments currently under way.

Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health Councillor Francine Higham said the public pools form part of the city’s community recreation infrastructure.

‘Our public swimming pools are important community spaces where families and young people can get active, cool off and enjoy time together.’

Higham also pointed to ongoing investment in upgrades, repairs and maintenance across the network.

The City has also reminded visitors to follow pool rules, listen to lifeguards and ensure that children are supervised at all times.

Delft Swimming Pool will be among the Cape Town facilities open daily during the September school holidays, from 23 September to 5 October| Picture: CoCT/Facebook