Laaities in Langa took matters into their own hands after their local swimming pool was closed for the third December in a row.
With Cape Town cooking at a hot 35 degrees on Thursday, kids from Langa smaaked a dip and stormed the facility in Washington Road before making a hole in the vibracrete fence to gain access.
The incident was caught on camera.
According to a passerby, who asked not to be named, the kids have been swimming unsupervised for days.
The source shares: “They swim without supervision, they just jump over the fence. Some are very young and they swim up until 10pm. But today things became chaotic, they broke the slabs and tried to break the fence and jumped in.
“When the Law Enforcement came, they ran away but returned. There is always security inside but they can’t control them.”
According to other residents, the children clashed with security guards and Law Enforcement officers after they were caught in the swimming pool.
Patricia van der Ross, Mayco member for Community Services and Health, says the pool was closed for repairs and servicing of the filtration equipment and chlorinator.
She explains: “This decision was made in conjunction with addressing the facility’s water quality, which currently does not meet the required standards.
“To ensure the safety and optimal functionality of the facility, these essential maintenance measures are contributing to the extended closure of the pool.”
Van der Ross adds: “While it is true that residents and children displayed impatience, leading to some unruly behaviour, there were no actual clashes with security and law enforcement.
“The situation prompted us to instruct residents to evacuate the facility due to concerns about trespassing and more critically, the need for drowning prevention.”
Meanwhile, the assigned lifeguards for the Langa pool are temporarily deployed at other facilities until the maintenance work is completed.