Suburban
The City of Harare says the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown to curb its spread has affected repairs and maintenance of council-owned swimming pools in the city.
Diana Nherera Suburban Reporter
A recent meeting of the Education, Health, Housing and Community Services and Licensing Committee heard that major repairs and maintenance could not be carried out due to lack of manpower and required materials.
“Swimming pool operations were mainly aided by partnerships.
“Harare Amateur Swimming and Triathlon Zimbabwe tirelessly assisted in the maintenance of Les Brown and Mt Pleasant swimming pools respectively.
“The department was approaching more partners to assist in the operations of swimming pools,” read minutes of the committee’s recent meeting.
Meanwhile, the city has authorized the acting Harare town clerk, Engineer Phakamile Moyo to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on behalf of the City of Harare with Triathlon Zimbabwe on the maintenance and provision of chemicals for Mt Pleasant Swimming Pool.
The committee resolved that the matter be referred to the acting chamber secretary in order to ensure the agreement is legally binding.
“The committee had before it a report (18 June 2021 circulated with the agenda) by the acting director of housing and community services recommending granting authority for the City of Harare to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with Triathlon Zimbabwe for the maintenance of Mt Pleasant Swimming Pool.
“The acting director of housing and community services reported that the City of Harare ran 13 municipal pools including Mt Pleasant Swimming Pool in the Greater Harare.
“He further reported that Triathlon Zimbabwe was a voluntary organization and a board ran regulated triathlon events and races for Mashonaland East Province.
“The City of Harare and Triathlon Zimbabwe signed a Memorandum of Agreement on 9 September 2013 whereby Triathlon Zimbabwe was going to assist council with the maintenance and provision of water treatment chemicals for Mt Pleasant pool.
“In return the city would, among other obligations, allow Triathlon Zimbabwe precedence in the use of the swimming pool for its events and races on agreed specific days and times in line with its swimming calendar.
“The Memorandum of Agreement had lapsed in 2019.
“The City of Harare and Triathlon Zimbabwe were desirous into a new Memorandum of Agreement stipulating the new relationship between the two parties,” further read the minutes of the committee meeting.
In a related matter, the acting director of housing and community Services reported to the meeting that most community facilities were in a deplorable state with fallen perimeter walls, broken doors, cracked walls and leaking roofs.
“Efforts to get those facilities rehabilitated have yielded very little results due to financial constraints.
“Few repairs and maintenance works were done during the quarter under review in partnership with stakeholders.” The committee noted with concern acts of vandalism and theft that took place during the lockdown when the community facilities were closed.
“Officers were reporting for duty in rotation but the withdrawal of municipal police from most community facilities had exposed the facilities to theft and vandalism.
“Municipal police were engaged.
“However, they cited staff shortages as a major challenge.”
Although the city officials assert that the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown affected the maintenance of pools, the City of Harare was two years already struggling to maintain the facilities. Good examples are the Greendale Swimming Pool and the McDonald Swimming Pool in Avondale.
In Greendale the council-owned swimming pool has just been reopened following the efforts of residents and other well wishers who embarked on fundraising mission to source money to repair the facility.
McDonald Pool has also previously benefitted from community efforts as the council struggled to maintain the pool.
The was recently closed has also been re-opening following the easing of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.
City of Harare principal communications officer, Mr Innocent Ruwende said those requiring services available at the facility can now visit McDonald Park and Pool.
“McDonald Park and Pool was closed due to Covid-19 regulations.
“However, we have since re-opened and those who require services; indoor and outdoor can approach our offices,” he said.
Residents who normally use the park and pool were complaining of its closure for outdoor activities.
