The owners of a billboard illegally erected at Gillooly’s Farm will appear in the Johannesburg High Court soon.
According to City of Ekurhuleni spokesperson Themba Gadebe, the owners of the structure were recently charged with being in contravention of Ekurhuleni’s outdoor advertising by-laws.
“If found guilty the owners of this billboard could face a fine or imprisonment and the forfeiture of all revenue generated from the billboard.”
Gadebe said the billboard was installed without the necessary approval from the City.
He said that the City loses potential revenue from unapproved advertisements.
In addition to this, illegal advertising structures also pose a danger to motorists, pedestrians and properties around them.
“The City’s approval process ensures that the billboards are structurally safe from a civil engineering perspective and that the billboard is located on land appropriately zoned.”
The billboard measuring 15m by 60m was erected on Gillooly’s Farm situated on Boeing Road West in 2016.
The land is owned by the City of Ekurhuleni.
“The site features prime advertising frontage as it faces the N3 northbound and has over the years been used to advertise products from a number of corporations,” Gadebe said.
“In the absence of a lease by the owners with the City, the City has lost out on millions worth of revenue since the billboard was erected.”
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He added that the illegal billboard also hindered the City from considering other billboards, which are in line with the City’s by-laws.
Gadebe warned that owners of the previously approved billboards for which approval periods have expired, and where no application to renew the approval has been received, will also be subjected to the same sanctions and taken to court where necessary.
“The City of Ekurhuleni, through its City Planning Department, will continue its audit of the database on outdoor advertising structures all over the City.
“The department will also follow up where contravention notices have been issued.”
The City has urged outdoor advertising companies and their media clients to follow the legal approval processes prior to erecting their advertising structures.
“The community is urged to report any new advertising structures that they suspect are illegal. Corporations using advertising structures to advertise their products are urged to ensure that the outdoor advertising structures they use to flight their adverts are approved with a valid lease agreement by the City,” Gadebe said.
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