Illegal advertising is a crime

Illegal signage has been on the rise in the Fourways area with people illegally placing advertising posters and trailers where they are not supposed to. Ward 94 councillor David Foley has managed to take down four large signs in his area but is wondering how many more he will have to remove if people just keep putting them up.

According to the JMPD spokesperson, Xolani Fihla, under the City of Johannesburg Outdoor Advertising By Laws, no person may erect an advertising sign or use or continue to use an advertising sign or any structure or device as an advertising sign without the prior written approval of the City. “The owner of an advertising sign and/or the owner of the property on which the approved advertising sign is to be erected must ensure that such sign is designed or located so as not to contradict the outdoor advertising by-laws,” said Fihla. “Every poster/sign for which permission is granted must be provided with a sticker supplied by the city and only a poster with such a sticker may be displayed.”

The most recent sign Foley removed was opposite the Leaping Frog Shopping Centre. “I had the JMPD, GPDRT and the City of Joburg outdoor advertising team on the scene. We had to dig the sign-up because it was very large. He is pleading with people to do right when they advertise and not illegally put signs anywhere, they see fit. “There were multiple holes dug up for these operations, but we put a stop to it and covered the holes,” said Foley.\

Foley advises illegal advertisers to not come to Ward 94 without the city’s approval because they will be stopped. “Without an approved document from the City of Joburg as in the outdoor advertising department, unscrupulous companies will be stopped. All equipment and vehicles will be impounded, and workers arrested. This all happened in the previous occasions,” he added.

The JMPD is letting people know that any person who-
(a) contravenes or fails to comply with any provision of this by-law;
(b) refuses or fails to comply with any notice served on him or her in terms of or for the purposes of this by-law;
(c) refuses or fails to comply with the terms or conditions of any approval issued in terms of this by-law;
(d) obstructs, hinders or interferes with an authorised official or other official of the Council acting under power delegated to him or her, in the exercise of any power or the performance of any duty under this by-law;
(e) fails or refuses to furnish to an authorised official or other official of the Council acting under power delegated to him or her, with any documentation or information required for the purposes of these Bylaws or furnishes a false or misleading document or false or misleading information.
(f) fails or refuses to comply with any instruction given in terms of or for the purposes of this by-law; or
(g) pretends to be an authorised official or other official of the city acting under power delegated to him or her, shall be guilty of an offence and
(h) upon conviction be liable to a fine or imprisonment not exceeding five years or to both a fine and such imprisonment and the fine shall be
calculated according to the ratio determined for such imprisonment in terms of the Adjustment of Fines Act 101 of 1991; and
(i) A person convicted of an offence under this By-law who, after conviction continues with the action in respect of which he or she was so convicted, is guilty of a continuing offence and liable to a fine, or upon conviction, to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months or to both such fine and imprisonment, in respect of each day on which he or she so continues or has continued with that act or omission.

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