In decluttering its environment, the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) launched Operation Lungisa to get rid of illegal advertising material from the streets by deploying Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) employees to identified hot spot areas.
“The illegal advertising, mostly on street poles, traffic lights, dustbins, bus stations, electrical infrastructure and other municipal property, have become intolerable eyesores,” said Themba Gadebe, spokesperson of the City of Ekurhuleni.
The central business districts (CBDs) will be the main areas of focus.
The operation is being carried out with the help of the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD).
Removed signs and mobile billboards will be impounded to CoJ’s storage facility until the owners claim them. They will be issued with applicable penalties.
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According to the city’s billboards and display of advertisements by-laws, no person shall erect or display any advertising signs or advertisements painted on a boundary wall, bridges and water tower, reservoir or silo and all non-locality bound painted advertisements.
Electrical transformer boxes and dustbins are the most popular places for the posted advertisements which damage the infrastructure when the adverts are removed.
“This causes a costly and unnecessary expenditure to the city. Some of the illegal advertisements are placed without consideration to traffic signage by obscuring them, cause confusion or interference and obstructing pedestrian traffic.
“Among forbidden signage include banners and flags that advertise sale promotions or commercial products or events, or banners suspended across a road, affixed to a bridge spanning a road,” said Gadebe.
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He said the city’s Outdoor Advertising Management Committee (OAMC) keeps a register of all approved signs or advertising and allocate them a unique registration number that is displayed in a suitable, clearly visible position so that it can be identified as approved.
“This is to ensure seamless processing of outdoor advertising applications.”
For any query on getting approval for advertising signs, potential advertisers can contact Susan Wilson on
011 999 999 0974 or email Susan.Wilson@ekurhuleni.gov.za at the Outdoor Advertising Control office.
