A “chilling” reality is setting in at the Strand Municipal Swimming Pool, where local residents and regular swimmers are expressing growing disillusionment with what they describe as poor management, erratic operating hours and a heating system that remained a “no-go” despite a year-long closure for upgrades.
For the community’s pensioners – the facility’s most dedicated users – the latest shift in operating hours has been the final straw.
The pool recently adjusted its Monday and Friday opening times to 11:00 to allow for cleaning. However, residents argue this schedule is fundamentally flawed.
Resident Denise Letts expressed the collective frustration of the “early bird” swimming community. “I have given up,” she said.
It’s ridiculous, as the busiest time is when we pensioners are there first thing. By 11:00 in the week it is still empty as the kids are back at school and people are working.
In response to these concerns, Francine Higham, Mayoral Committee member for Community Services and Health, provided clarity on the operational changes.
“The facility operates seven days a week and, due to the high influx of patrons during peak times, the staff is unable to maintain the cleanliness of the facility. The reduced hours on Mondays and Fridays allow for the deep cleaning of the swimming pool, while pensioners are free to use the facility the whole day during operational hours.”
Regarding claims that the schedule changes on an “almost daily basis”, the City of Cape Town maintains that the current schedule is stable.
“The current pool schedule with the reduced hours on Mondays and Fridays will stay in place. The public was informed prior to the date of commencement… via announcements at the facility and signage,” Higham said.
One of the most significant grievances involves the pool’s heating system. While residents like Letts claim that a previous attempt to run the system “took out the substation breaker,” the City has flatly denied these reports.
“There has been no report of a substation breaker failure, as the heating system does not get its supply from an external substation,” ” said Higham. “The facility’s current electrical system was checked and all faulty breakers, wiring, lights, plugs, and switches were recently replaced.”
However, for those waiting for warm water the wait is not over. “The City remains committed to restoring the heating systems and other integrated systems prior to the winter season of 2026,” Higham confirmed.
Major elements of works were concluded; heat pumps fitted and the next phase of works will be the connection of electrical phase works. Once testing and commissioning has been concluded, the HVAC system will be restored.
While the water temperature currently sits around 24 °C, regular users expect it to plummet to 15 °C or 16 °C during the winter months. When asked for a guarantee that winter swimming would be viable for seniors, the City noted that success depends entirely on whether the system remains stable after the upcoming commissioning phase.
Residents also allege that their enquiries over the past four years have been met with “misleading statements”.
The City, however, defended its transparency. “The statement is untrue,” Higham countered. “Timelines have changed during the execution of the project and additional unforeseen repairs were uncovered as the project progressed, due to the technical nature of mechanical and electrical installations. The shifting of timelines and projections were necessary.”
The City also dismissed the need for alternative community-proposed solutions like solar panels, stating “the current heating system is sufficient to maintain the size of the swimming pool” once fully operational.
Despite the grievances, the community holds an affinity for the facility itself.
“The pool is wonderful,” Letts concluded. “I personally just think it is not managed properly.”
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