INDAWO yokubhukuda kaMasipala, iKings Park Pool, ilungiswa kabusha. Lokhu kuza ngemuva kokuba uMasipala wabe uR42 million wokulungisa lesi sikhungo ukuze sibukeke kangcono. Lo umsebenzi usuvele usuqalile kanti uyingxenye yohlelo lukaMasipala lokunakekela zonke izindawo zawo zokubhukuda.
Le Pool inezindawo zangaphakathi nezangaphandle. Indawo yangaphakathi inendawo yokubhukuda engamamitha awu-50 kuthi ngaphandle kube nengamamitha awu-25 ubude, ejule ngamamitha awu-6.5m. IBamba leNhloko yoPhiko lwezamaPaki, ezokuNgcebeleka namaThuna, uDkt Zakhi Mkhize, lithe lesi yisona kuphela isikhungo sokubhukuda saseNingizimu Afrika esisezingeni le-FINA (International Swimming Federation) futhi esihlonishwa yikomidi i-International Olympic Committee ngokusingatha umqhudelwano womhlaba.
Uthe kubalulekile ukuthi uMasipala uyilungise iKings Park Pool njengoba iyikhaya lemiqhudelwano yokubhukuda yaphesheya neyalapha ekhaya. Uthe imali eyabiwe izokwenza omkhulu umehluko kulesi sikhungo.
“Umsebenzi wokulungisa oqhubekayo njengamanje ugxile ekulungiseni ingqalasizinda eyalinyazwa wumoya onamandla ngonyaka odlule. UMasipala ube usuthatha isinqumo sokwenza nomsebenzi wokuthuthukisa lesi sikhungo ukuze sibe sezingeni,” kusho uMkhize.
Umsebenzi uzohlanganisa ukushintshwa kwezibani namawindi, ukulungiswa kwezitebhisi nezindawo zokuhamba ngezinyawo ukuze zingashibiliki, ukulungiswa kwendlela yokuhamba okuhlanganisa nezinsimbi zokubambelela, ukulungiswa kwendawo yokudla, ukuplasitela nokupenda isakhiwo, ukufakwa kwezimpawu ezintsha, ibhodi lokubhala amaphuzu, namabhodi okutshuza.
IKings Park Pool isike yasingatha imicimbi emikhulu yalapha ekhaya, yezwe, neyamazwe angaphandle efana nama-FINA World Championships ngo-2006, ama-FINA Paralympics ka-2014, amaWorld Olympic Qualifiers ka-2011 ngango-2016, amaCommon World Games ka-2022, ama-BRICS Games ka-2023, namaWorld Short Course Qualifiers ka-2024, phakathi kweminye. Ikhiqize nabasubathi abaziwayo abafana noPenny Heyns, Chad Ho, Terence Parkin, Roland Schoeman, noNatalie Du Toit.
Ababhukudi bazoyijabulela iKings Park Pool elungiswe kabusha evalwe ngoNovemba ukuze kulungiswe. Umsebenzi uzothatha cishe izinyanga ezine; kuye nangokuthi isimo sezulu siyavuma yini, kanti kulindeleke ukuthi uphothulwe ekupheleni kuka-Ephreli.
