dyton mupawaendaThe Rhodesia Herald, January 24, 1974
TOP African swimmers have been denied the chance of competing against European opposition in multiracial events at the Les Brown baths, Salisbury.
This decision by Salisbury City Council killed all hope of Rhodesian swimmers going to the Olympics, the Centre Party alleged last night.
Mr Norman Brant, chairman of the Mashonaland Amateur Swimming Board, which applied to hold the events has said he will await official confirmation before calling his executive to an emergency session.
Council sources said yesterday that last Thursday’s Council meeting voted 11-9 against the application.
They said an alternative suggested at the meeting was for the Mashonaland board to re-apply for the event to take place at the African Mufakose Olympic-standard pool.
Mr Brant said that if the decision was just that, it was very disappointing and he would call an emergency meeting of his executive.
He hoped it would agree to apply again. The chairman said only four Africans had reached the necessary standard to take part and it seemed a waste of petrol to expect 150 Europeans to travel to Mufakose.
“If you are going to permit the European to swim at an African pool, why not allow the African to swim at a European pool?” he said. The Mashonaland board applied in November for permission to hold multiracial age group competitions, trials and championships at the Les Brown pool.
Mr Ronald James, Amenitles Department manager, advised the Health and Environmental Services Committee that a permit under the Land Tenure Act was needed to allow African swimmers the right to compete.
The committee decided to recommend authorising Mr James to make the application, with one councillor dissenting, but this recommendation was rejected by the full council last week.
A councillor said last night that the Minister of Local Government and Housing decided on applications sent to him by the Council on merit.
He thought that if the board were to apply direct to the Minister the application would be sent back to the Council.
The first gala to get permission from the Government for multiracial swimming was last March at St Ignatius College, Chishawasha, but the present application is believed to be the first for a council- controlled pool in Salisbury.
One reason for not granting permission for the application was that multiracial swimming was “window dressing” because there was no hope of Rhodesia competing at the Olympics.
LESSONS FOR TODAY
Les Brown Swimming Pool near the Harare Gardens in the Central Business District is one of the 13 swimming pools that are run by the Harare City Council.
The swimming pools are used by communities, schools, pre-schoolers, the uniformed forces, clubs and individuals.
Apart from Les Brown, City of Harare also runs swimming baths in Arcadia, Avondale, Cranborne, Greendale, Mabelreign, Hatfield, Highfield, Highlands, Mbare, Mt Pleasant, Mufakose and Waterfalls suburbs.
It is Council’s responsibility to ensure that communities have adequate recreational facilities for all age groups, but fulfilling this requirement is an illusion for the local authority.
Due to lack of maintenance, the majority of the swimming pools are now run down: rusty gates and fences on the verge of collapse, weeds and discoloured walls, etc.
Racial discrimination is an ugly phenomenon. Who would have foreseen that swimming sensation and seven-time Olympic medallist Kirsty Coventry would be the current Minister of Sport, Arts and Recreation, under the Second Republic?
Online Reporter