With the Boland still in the grip of a long hot summer, it’s time for Drakenstein Municipality to acknowledge not all residents can afford swimming pools and provide the basic services needed for our people to swim in dignity and safety in the Berg River.
In a heatwave, such as we experienced in January, people naturally make a beeline for cool water. While the privileged jump into their swimming pools, the less privileged jump into municipal pools, if they’re not closed “due to Covid” – or they rush to the beach, a river or dam.
With more very hot weather forecast for March, and climate change already causing more extreme weather events, one doesn’t need to be Nostradamus to predict there’s going to be extra demand for cooling relief.
How is it possible that when thousands of people headed for the Berg River in January it seemed to take the Drakenstein Municipality by surprise?
The truth is that the municipality has never bothered to develop proper swimming facilities along the Berg River because the municipality prioritises servicing privileged people, and privileged people generally don’t congregate at the river…
So there was no parking, no litter bins, no toilets, no lifesavers – nothing.
When the crowds came, blocking the roads and leaving a trail of dirt, the municipality responded with a series of extra law-enforcement measures.
This is not as it should be. The Drakenstein area is generally hot – just ask the Indian cricket team who visited in January! According to the scientists, it’s not about to get cooler anytime soon.
When it comes to swimming, the first issue has to be one of safety. Because there are areas of the Berg River that are dangerous to swim in, due to whirlpools and eddies, safe stretches of the river must be identified by the municipality for the use of the community. Trying to stop people swimming altogether is neither sustainable nor desirable.
The second issue is one of services and amenities. Members of the community must be encouraged to swim in the designated safe swimming areas only, where things like parking, litter bins and toilets must be provided.
On “big” days, when there are lots of people, the municipality should provide life-saving and medical emergency services.
Whether the municipality likes it or not, the fact is that there are many thousands of people in the Drakenstein area who can’t afford to travel to the beach and don’t have access to public swimming pools.
Drakenstein belongs to all who live in it. We all feel the heat equally. It is high time for the municipality to acknowledge its duty to provide for all our people.
