Update, 12 July, 11.30am:
Residents and road users of Oxford Road on Illovo Junction will be pleased to know that the illegally placed advertising trailer has been removed.
Efforts from outdoor advertising operational manager Jack Sekgobela paid off. “I phoned the company advertised on the trailer and they confirmed that the trailer belonged to them.
“I gave them a choice to remove it voluntarily or else I will impound it within two hours of the grievance lodged. They removed at their own cost. They should not come back to the site.”
Details: City of Johannesburg www.joburg.org.za
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Earlier, 12 July, 8am:
Residents, including property owners and corporate businesses, often complain about illegal adverts.
In a statement by City of Johannesburg Mayor, Herman Mashaba said members of the outdoor advertising industry are currently disregarding by-laws as they continue to illegally erect advertising boards. But he said their days are numbered.
He said that due to a new outdoor advertising by-law still undergoing legal processes, the City would continue to enforce the 2009 by-law in its entirety. Section 3(1) of the by-law states that no person may erect any advertising sign or use or continue to use any structure as an advertising sign without the prior written approval of council.
Metro police spokesperson, Edna Mamonyane, urged advertisers not to advertise just anywhere as some have a tendency to place adverts in a way that affects the view of motorists – leading to potential collisions. “The road is only supposed to have road signs but one finds big advertising boards and the owners do not even have permission. By-laws will be enforced to remove illegal adverts,” she said.
Stakeholder manager from the office of the MMC for Development Planning, Poppy Louw, said that the Outdoor Advertising Unit within her department had recently started its audit of the state of outdoor advertising. She said, “The first phase of the audit is expected to be completed by the second week of July. The audit will focus on identified problem areas such as Sandton, M1 east, M1 west, Grayston, Midrand as well as malls – particularly those with signs facing the roads.”
Illovo resident, Ian Macleod, recently raised complaints, together with other residents, about an illegally parked advertising trailer which, according to him, was about a foot into the road and damaged the road surface. However, a swift response from Outdoor Advertising operational manager, Jack Sekgobela, saw the company that owns the trailer removing it the very same day.
There are still a number of illegal, intrusive outdoor adverts that residents are not happy about such as the new, bright digital billboard put up on top of Thrupps building in Illovo Centre, ‘blinding’ residents in opposite buildings.
Details: Members of the public can approach and use the City’s Outdoor Advertising Unit’s services during consultation times between 8am and 11am from Monday to Friday. They are located on the 6th floor of the Metro Building in Braamfontein, 158 Loveday Street and can be contacted on 011 407 6062.
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