Empowering with swimming skills

LANGA residents are being empowered with swimming skills for job opportunities during the peak summer season.

The lessons started two weeks ago at the Langa Swimming Pool hosted by the City of Cape Town’s Recreation and Parks department.

One of the participants, Thandokazi Mbudwana, said she loved swimming but was no good at it.

“I normally only put my legs in water, but after a few sessions I’ve learnt a lot,” she said.

She said another thing that interested her was the fact that she could get a job doing what she loves and saving people’s lives.

Mbudwana added that she is grateful for the opportunity.

Wandile Kokwana said he has been taking the lessons since the start.

He said at the moment he was “sitting at home doing nothing because of Covid-19” and felt that it is a good time to keep himself busy while learning a new skill.

He said he was enjoying his time in the pool and learning something new that would benefit not just him but others

“I love what is being done for the community, after this I will be able to swim, save people from drowning and teach what I learnt to others as well,” he said.

Facility manager Itumeleng Moahloli said at the moment they were focusing on people from the ages of 18 to 40 years.

She said since it was still a pilot project, they started with 30 community members, however, it is open to anyone interested.

Moahloli said the project would work as a feeder for the City when they looked for lifeguards during the summer season.

“This will not only provide those participating with job opportunities, but be of great help to the community, because last year there was a boy who drowned here, so the more people learn to swim, the better it will save us from such incidents,” she added.

Mayco member for Community Service and Health, Zahid Badroodien, said the lessons were provided by permanent lifeguards.

He said the purpose of the programme was to up-skill participants in order to give them a “good opportunity to meet the requirements for recruitment of seasonal lifeguards in the upcoming season”.