Work has begun to restore the long-abandoned Ngangelizwe public swimming pool in Mthatha.
Municipal officials hope the project to revive the once-popular community facility will provide residents with a recreational outlet and stimulate economic activity in the township.
The pool, once a lively venue for weekend leisure, swimming galas and youth development, has stood vandalised and unused for more than 20 years.
Opened in 1990 as a major recreational hub, the facility closed just 13 years later after falling into disrepair due to vandalism.
Over time, it deteriorated into an illegal dumping site, with residents also complaining that it had become a haven for criminal activity and drug use.
If all goes well, the restoration of the pool will be completed by 2027
— Sonwabo Mampoza, KSD spokesperson
King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality spokesperson Sonwabo Mampoza said the refurbishment was being funded from the municipsality’s 2025/2026 budget.
“There is no external funding, but we estimate that to do a complete refurbishment of the pool we will possibly need around R3m,” he said.
“If all goes well, the restoration of the pool will be completed by 2027.
“Ngangelizwe is one of the historic townships in Mthatha, and the pool was constructed to ensure residents from the area and surrounding communities, including Silvertown, had a place where they could swim, especially in hot weather.”
Renovations to the Mthatha public swimming pool in the CBD, which had been out of use for more than a decade due to vandalisam, were completed in 2025.
Mampoza said restoring the Ngangelizwe facility would improve access to recreational infrastructure, particularly for children who now had to travel to town to use a pool.
“A working Ngangelizwe pool will mean residents, especially children, do not have to travel to town in taxis to access a pool.
“People will be able to sharpen their swimming skills, which could help minimise the risk of drowning when they go to the ocean.
“Young children could also grow to become lifeguards or professional swimmers.”
Mampoza said the municipality expected broader benefits to flow from the project, including increased tourism and economic activity.
“The Ngangelizwe pool will definitely increase the profile of the township and surrounding areas.
“Even domestic and international tourists can use it when they visit, while the municipality could reinvest the monies collected from bathers to further develop Ngangelizwe.”
Eastern Cape Chamber of Business president Vuyisile Ntlabati welcomed the restoration, saying the lack of accessible facilities had long disadvantaged children in the township.
“This means children will now learn to swim early.
“I think government’s weakness is always letting infrastructure deteriorate, which then requires huge investments to restore it.
“It is also not only about restoring them; they have to make sure those assets are maintained to prolong their lifespan.
“The dearth of public facilities, especially in Mthatha, has contributed to children getting caught up in unsavoury things like crime, alcohol and drug abuse.”
Ntlabati said the project could also benefit informal traders operating around the pool.
“It will be up to residents to safeguard it from vandalism.”
Local soccer academy owner Ziyanda Mercy Qikani said the pool could provide additional support for youth sport and recreation.
“When there are no recreational facilities, young people end up doing wrong things.
“This restoration project is good news for them, but you always have to make sure they are kept busy doing what they love,” she said.
Qikani added that football development in Mthatha remained under-supported, with many amateur teams still playing on poor-quality grounds.
Mthatha lawyer Zincedile Tiya, who grew up in Ngangelizwe, said the pool had previously been central to community life.
“When we grew up, that pool hosted competitions with boys from north, east, mid and west Ngangelizwe.
“Even boys from Ikhwezi township would swim with us. Now, children swim in the Mthatha River, which is unsafe and unhygienic.
“The pool created opportunities for young swimmers to develop skills and compete at higher levels. Its closure has left children without safe recreational options.”
Daily Dispatch
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