\u201cWith the summer holidays on our doorstep, it is a shame that in the Free State there are very few public swimming pools for the children to relax and enjoy the holidays during the summer,\u201d says Werner Pretorius, DA spokes\u00adperson for the Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation in the Free State Legislature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pretorius says with temperatures rising and schools closing for the December holidays, hundreds of thousands of Free State residents \u2013<\/span> especially the youth and residents in rural communities \u2013<\/span> will be left without access to public swimming pools due to poor maintenance by local municipalities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Most of the municipal swimming pools across the Free State are either closed, dysfunctional, or in a state of disrepair. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Not Dewetsdorp, Bakenpark, Bethlehem, Bethulie, Bloemfontein, Botshabelo, Bultfontein, Edenburg, Excelsior, Ficksburg, Frankfort, Gariepdam, Harrismith, Hobhouse, Jagersfontein, Koppies, Madikgetla, Marquard, Parys, Petrusburg, Reitz, Tweeling, Vrede, Wepener, nor Winburg have public pools in working order. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSafe recreational facilities, such as public swimming pools, greatly benefit the entire community \u2013 especially the youth \u2013 during summer holidays. It will also keep youths off the streets and away from illicit activities such as drugs and crime,\u201d Pretorius continues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPublic recreational facilities like municipal swimming pools play a major role in fighting social and economic ills and have proven to foster social cohesion and a sense of belonging.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Pretorius, residents suffer the consequences of the lack of effective planning and political will, as well as financial mismanage\u00adment in local governments. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cWith the summer holidays on our doorstep, it is a shame that in the Free State there are very few public swimming pools for the children to relax and enjoy the holidays during the summer,\u201d says Werner Pretorius, DA spokes\u00adperson for the Department 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