Blairgowrie pool ready but remains closed as Joburg delays season

Blairgowrie residents will have to wait another month to use their swimming pool, despite the Blairgowrie Community Association (BCA) working to ensure the facility is ready to open.

The pool has been renovated with the help of community members, including contractors such as plumbers and electricians, after a huge fundraising campaign sourcing money from residents.

Repairs were done to the pool, the change rooms were upgraded, and the facility was cleaned, painted and landscaped. The children’s pool was also re-lined. The facility was fenced to improve safety. Ongoing maintenance is taking place.

The City of Johannesburg has, however, announced that the 2026/27 swimming season, which was due to start today, has been postponed.

The city plans to reopen 36 of its swimming pools in October. It said the delay was necessary to ensure the facilities meet required health, safety and operational standards.

But the delay has frustrated the BCA and residents. BCA representative Harold Fleishman told TimesLIVE the association had no say on the opening date.

“As much as we love the pool, it belongs to the sports and recreation department. They make the rules. But we are 100% ready. It’s not fair that we can’t open because other pools are not ready,” he said.

The delay has forced the BCA to cancel a special pool opening and fundraising event that had been planned for Saturday.

Fleishman said organisers could not go ahead with the event without certainty about when the pool would open.

“We can’t plan any dates or any functions until we are 100% certain we’ve been given the go-ahead,” he said.

TimesLIVE has sent a query to the City of Johannesburg about why pools that are ready cannot be opened before the rest, in a phased approach.