Signage bylaw shakes up business community

Local businesses have been told they have to pay an annual or monthly fee for every sign board that they have up.

The KwaDukuza municipality (KDM) will from now on regulate the size of all signage and the amount payable will be determined by the size and type of signage.

Building attachment signs, for example, require an application fee of R315 for the first five square metres and R90 per additional square metre. If the sign will be up for less than a year, a monthly display fee of R65 is payable otherwise an annual display fee of R595 will have to be paid.

Former Ballito councillor, now member of the KZN provincial legislature, representing the Democratic Alliance, Ann McDonnell said the bylaw was passed a few years ago and is only now being enforced.

“The bylaw was passed in an attempt to control visual pollution. We want to see trees and the sea in our town and not an excess of advertising signage,” said McDonnell.

She said the Ballito Neighbourhood Watch’s signage has been confiscated before, because they did not comply with this outdoor advertising bylaw. Salt Rock councillor Malcolm Hubner said business owners will now have to pay for any and all signage that is visible from the road.

Ballito councillor Colin Marsh said KDM would like business owners to come forward and voluntarily adhere to the bylaw but at this stage the two officials who have been approaching businesses have received verbal abuse.

Ilembe Chamber CEO, Cobus Oelofse said compliance with bylaws is very important in a growing society.

“We have to trust the political system and it is our duty to support the standards set for us,” said Oelofse.

He said the outdoor advertising bylaw passed in 2013 was not unique to KDM and the Chamber is happy to act as a conduit of communication between local businesses and KDM. He invited business people to approach the Ilembe Chamber with any questions or queries they may have regarding the bylaw.

KDM spokesperson Sifiso Zulu said the bylaw is there to ensure that all business and organizations are given equal opportunity to advertise with due regard to public safety and reasonable standards of appearance that will not degrade or impact the amenities of neighbourhoods. This is not only for the greater Ballito area but for the whole of KwaDukuza.

He said the revenue collected is used by council to deliver services in the community. This can be in the form of road upgrades, keep KwaDukuza clean campaigns, maintenance or any other services provided by council including issues related to outdoor advertising.

The fee is a regulated tariff approved by council and revised on a yearly basis.

When the new bylaw was passed, the information was advertised in the Government Gazette as well as local newspapers, calling for the public to provide their comments and input.

Zulu said when a sign is removed, a notice would be sent to the offender to pay the fine and collect the sign.

“If the sign is not collected after three months the fine is transferred to the accounts section. With signs on private property, we will send a notice to remove the sign and if not removed we prosecute through the high court.”

The penalty for non-compliance is a fine of R200 per sign removed for a first offence, R400 per sign removed for a second offence and R600 per sign for a third offense. After that, the matter will be decided in court.

Zulu confirmed that officials trying to enforce the bylaw on the ground have experienced verbal abuse from the community.