Only 32 of the city's 57 public pools are open this summer
The Newville swimming pool in Newlands' Region B, Johannesburg, was once a popular communal space where families gathered on weekends and children learned to swim. But after years of neglect, the pool is beyond repair.
Only 32 of the city's 57 public pools were confirmed to have opened for the 2025/26 swimming season, which ends in March. Public pools form part of government policy aimed at promoting social cohesion. The 2011 White Paper on Sport and Recreation describes sport as a tool to combat exclusion and strengthen communities' capacity to address local challenges.
The municipality had promised more pools would open and some would be refurbished, but the water crisis across the metro has stalled these plans.
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Community activist Bianca Olivier said the Newville pool had been more than a place for residents to swim. It was a space where they could escape the pressures of daily life.
Without consistent maintenance, the pool fell into disrepair and was eventually decommissioned and filled in by the City of Johannesburg.
Olivier said the community now has no easily accessible pool, with the nearest pools also closed this season.
After the Newville pool closed, the site became an informal dumping ground. Despite attempts by the City of Johannesburg's Region B to clean the site several times, illegal dumping continues.
Olivier described it as "heartbreaking" to see a once-valued community asset turn into an eyesore.Residents say their suburb is under strain from crime, municipal neglect and deteriorating public amenities.
The nearby historic Brixton Pool, which was expected to re-open by March 2026, remains closed. A recent visit to the site found no visible construction activity. Other pools in the area, including Coronationville Pool, have also closed amid ongoing water supply constraints.
The City of Johannesburg did not respond to our queries.
Lyrics Mazibuko, DA spokesperson on community development in the municipality, said pool closures stemmed from years of neglect, poor maintenance planning, procurement delays, budget mismanagement, and vandalism. He said routine upkeep had been ignored.
Mazibuko called on the municipality to provide detailed progress reports and implement firm timelines, ring-fenced maintenance budgets, improved security, and consequence management.
Olivier said residents had proposed using the Newville pool site for a skills development centre for young people. She said a community farm there could help address unemployment and support residents struggling to make ends meet.
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