Cape Town swimming pool shut down following break-in and vandalism
Over the weekend, the City of Cape Town’s Retreat swimming pool was allegedly vandalized and looted. Here are the details…
Vandals broke into Cape Town’s popular Retreat swimming pool on Friday, 25 April, leading to its closure to the public.
Retreat swimming pool damaged by break-in
City of Cape Town staff discovered the break-in upon arrival on Friday morning, finding the swimming pool plant room had been damaged. They also noted a significant drop in the pool’s water level, prompting them to shut off the water supply to prevent further loss.
The thieves reportedly stole all the pipes connecting to the swimming pool filters and caused damage to several other components in the plant room.
The City said that permanent repairs of the swimming pool are scheduled to commence on Tuesday, 29 April.
“This setback is incredibly disappointing and frustrating. An assessment has to be completed to determine the extent of the damage, and then the process will begin to do repairs. This facility is a hub for many local users, including swimming clubs and the latest closure is a blow. I want to appeal to the community to please come forward with any information that could help identify those responsible for this wanton act of destruction,” Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Francine Higham said in a statement.
End of beach and pool season
This, unfortunately, comes after the City recently marked the end of the summer beach and pool season in the City of Cape Town, with lifeguards officially going off duty and the majority of swimming pools closing.
The majority of Cape Town’s public pools have now closed for the winter season, with the exception of indoor pools, including Retreat swimming pool, which usually operate throughout the year.