I have learnt, with dismay, about incidents of theft at three of our swimming pools in recent days that have caused thousands of rand in damages, and more importantly, resulted in the closure of the Retreat and Manenberg swimming pools.

In the early hours of Thursday 28 March 2019, thieves gained entry to the filtration plant room at Retreat and removed the steel pipes, gauges and valves from the filter.

This impacts directly on the operations of the facility as the damaged infrastructure is key to maintaining the water quality of the swimming pool.

We will only have a clearer idea in the next few days of the timeframe for repairs, as well as the cost of damages.

Retreat swimming pool is one of the few indoor facilities in the city, which means access all year round

This act of wanton destruction means that children in the area are unable to use the swimming pool over the final few days of the school holidays; the Learn to Swim programme has had to be cancelled and the numerous swimming clubs whose members use the facility as a training venue will have to find costly alternative venues until the repairs are completed.

The Manenberg swimming pool has been closed for several days already, after the power cables were stolen, leaving the facility without electricity and affecting the water quality.

We are also assessing the situation at the Parow North swimming pool, where a similar incident took place on or around Human Rights Day.

Among the items stolen in that incident were a chlorinator, two booster pump motors, a dosing system, chlorine masks, PVC pipe, copper pipes and other fittings.

What makes this incident all the more disappointing is that the swimming pool was in the process of being filled, with a view to opening it to the public.