Time for a swim

Swimming and water safety lessons will be offered at all Joburg’s municipal pools, which open on Spring Day, thanks to Swimming South Africa and other partners.
WITH temperatures starting to rise as summer gets closer, the City is encouraging children in Soweto to take swimming lessons.

MMC for community development Chris VondoMMC for community development Chris VondoThe Water Safety Spring Campaign and Learn to Swim will be launched on 1 September – Spring Day and the day Joburg’s 54 municipal pools traditionally open for the season – at Pimville Swimming Pool, where disadvantaged children will receive free lessons.

The campaign, a City of Johannesburg initiative run in conjunction with Swimming South Africa (SSA), the Gauteng provincial government and Central Gauteng Aquatics, will run until 31 March 2012. It will take place at various swimming pools, such as Coronationville, Ellis Park and Wahoo, as well as Pimville, where Swimming South Africa’s trained instructors will provide free lessons.

Lessons will include synchronised swimming, water polo and specialised programmes such as lifesaving. Community resilience programmes for flooding will also be held.

The Water Safety Spring Campaign combines SSA’s Learn to Swim programme with the provincial government’s mass participation programme.

Chris Vondo, the member of the mayoral committee for community development, says the main goal is to promote access to City facilities, including swimming pools. “We would like to emphasize the message of water safety and the importance of the Learn to Swim programmes, which will be taking place during this year’s summer swimming season.”

According to Lebogang Maile, the MEC for sport, art, culture and recreation, the provincial government’s mass participation programme delivers sport and recreational, arts and cultural activities to communities. The cornerstone of the venture is to create a club system so that communities develop ownership.

“The Water Safety Spring Campaign gives our youngsters and community a chance to take part in the joys of swimming in summer through our mass participation programmes,” says Maile.

Jace Naidoo, the president of Swimming South Africa, says the group’s mission is to make every child a swimmer. “With the help of Central Gauteng Aquatics, the Gauteng provincial government and the City of Johannesburg, we are one step closer to achieving that goal.”

The campaign will give the necessary tools to the communities and educate them on water safety, he adds.