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Eyewitness News
14-05-2025
- General
- Eyewitness News
City of Cape Town to assist NGOs as winter sweeps in
CAPE TOWN - With winter on our doorstep, the City of Cape Town has reaffirmed its commitment to assist non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that provide shelter for people living on the street. It said its Winter Readiness Programme also allows shelters to apply for support like food parcels, toiletries, mattresses, and bedding. READ: CoCT commits to providing R1.2m worth of goods, services to shelters to assist homeless MMC for Community Services and Health, Francine Higham says, however, organisations must be registered as an NPO or a PBO (Public Benefit Organisation) to be eligible for the programme. She adds shelters like U-Turn Ministries, the Haven Night Shelter, and Mould Empower Serve (MES) are already part of its programme. "The city's safe spaces offer 1070 beds across the metro, and then we also partner with our NGOs like the Haven Night Shelters to offer additional beds. Haven Night shelter, as far as I'm aware, has just over 1400 beds, and we're working with them to add additional beds over the winter months."
The South African
25-04-2025
- The South African
Vandalism forces another Cape Town swimming pool to close
Cape Town's Retreat indoor swimming pool has been forced to shut its doors again, just six months after a major upgrade, following a break-in that caused significant damage to critical systems. When staff arrived at the swimming pool on Friday morning, they discovered a scene of destruction. The facility's plant room had been broken into overnight. Thieves reportedly stole all the pipes connected to the pool's filtration system and vandalised other key components. As a result, the water level in the swimming pool had dropped significantly. Officials shut off the facility's water supply to prevent further losses. 'This setback is incredibly disappointing and frustrating,' said Councillor Francine Higham, Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health. 'An assessment has to be completed to determine the extent of the damage, and then the process will begin to do repairs.' Despite the damage, the City's project team has already started emergency repairs that could allow a temporary reopening as early as today. However, complete repairs are only scheduled to begin on Tuesday. The Retreat pool had just reopened after critical maintenance and upgrades, some of which have now been destroyed. 'This facility is a hub for many local users, including swimming clubs, and the latest closure is a blow,' said Higham. City officials have urged the community to help identify those responsible for the swimming pool vandalism. '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,' Higham added. Residents can report incidents to the City's Public Emergency Communication Centre on 021 480 7700. Tips can also be shared anonymously via the City's 24-hour tip-off line at 0800 110 077, with the possibility of a reward. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Time Out
23-04-2025
- Climate
- Time Out
City calls time on summer swimming
With the cool days of autumn settling in on the Mother City, authorities have called time on summer swimming as pools close and lifeguards climb down from their watchtowers for the season. Cape Town's beach and pool lifeguards officially wrapped up their duties for the 2024-2025 summer season on Monday, 21 April, and many seasonal swimming pools are now closed to the public. Public swimming pools across the city are now closed until spring, with only five pool facilities remaining open year-round. If you fancy a dip, you'll have to head to Blue Downs, Long Street, Retreat, Strand, and Sea Point. Feeling brave? You could always brave one of these awesome tidal pools close to Cape Town? Although it's outdoors and alongside the chilly Atlantic, Sea Point is always a hit with locals and visitors. Nearly 4000 swimmers visited on Boxing Day (26 December) alone! It was certainly a busy season for the city pools, with over 660,000 people laying out their towels, and nearly two-thirds of them children. Keeping them safe was a team of lifeguards, who are now off-duty for the winter. It was a busy season for Cape Town's water safety teams, which responded to dozens of emergencies across beaches and pools, saving many people from drowning. But with the lifeguards off duty until next summer, the City is urging swimmers to remain cautious. 'Don't become another statistic,' said Councillor Francine Higham, Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health. 'Avoid isolated beaches, learn to identify rip currents, and stay within your swimming ability.'
