All the political parties that contested the November 1 municipal elections have 14 days to remove their posters from Johannesburg’s street light poles.
Acting manager for the City of Johannesburg Floyd Brink said, “Parties that contested the elections must remove campaign posters within 14 days after the polls.”
This is in terms of Section 28 of the City’s Outdoor Advertising Bylaws which stipulates that posters must be removed by the person displaying it within 14 days after conclusion of the election or voter registration, according to Brink.
Failure to do so, the council shall within 14 days after the conclusion of the election or voter registration notify the relevant party to remove the posters within a time period specified, failing which, the council may remove the posters itself. Every poster that is removed by the City after the grace period will be tallied up for each party and a fine of R1 000 per poster issued accordingly.
“We trust that all the parties will do what is required of them in terms of the bylaws. It is a short time, hence the further grace period but the City cannot become unsightly due to posters that no longer have relevance and it almost becomes a type of littering if left unchecked.”
According to Brink, political parties were informed of Section 28, including a letter to the Independent Electoral Commission, months before the campaigns to contest the elections started.
