The City of Ekurhuleni responded to the article, Billboard comes down after Humphreys steps in, published by the NEWS on April 25.
Spokesperson for City of Ekurhuleni Themba Gadebe said that the Sam Green bridge was approved by the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE).
Gadebe stated that Sanral and Jinja 2 Pty (Ltd) are currently pursuing the matter in High Court.
The CoE and Sanral embarked on Inter-Governmental Relations Framework (IGRF) in this regard to settle the matter.
According to Gadebe, the CoE have suspended the approval of bridge signs to allow the IGRF process to take its course.
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Gadebe said that interested parties who want to erect a billboard need to lodge an application with the CoE’s City Planning Department in terms of the applicable Outdoor Advertising By-law.
“CoE puts the application into a rigorous evaluation process and if the application conforms with the by-law, it is then approved subject to conditions as deemed fit,” said Gadebe.
He said the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality Billboards and the Display of Advertisement By-laws 2017 are in place to ensure that no illegal billboards are erected.
“CoE does not construct billboards but does preside over the application process. Any person erecting an illegal billboard is committing an offence and legal action will be taken against such a person,” said Gadebe.