Ward 93 councillor Vino Reddy is floating on cloud nine after a long-awaited operation to remove illegal outdoor advertising got underway on Witkoppen and Main roads.

Reddy battled to hide his excitement as officials began dismantling unauthorised billboards that have plagued the area for years. He has been calling for this move since last year.

Read more: Ward 93 councillor calls for stronger action against illegal billboard structures

He said one of the prominent signs, previously mounted at Clay Oven informal settlement, had already been taken down. On the opposite side, another billboard at Thatchers Corner was also removed as part of the same operation.

The clean-up was led by the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department, in collaboration with the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC).

“Authorities are not only targeting standalone billboards,” said Reddy. “They are also investigating properties along the route, to clamp down on illegal signage displayed on private premises.”

Also read: Councillors act swiftly to stop new illegal billboard on Winnie Mandela Drive

He said teams had already moved further along Main Road, continuing the removals on the opposite side. “This is the first of many removals on Witkoppen Road, and I hope it extends across the length and breadth of the ward.”

He said the issue of illegal outdoor advertising has been a long-standing concern for residents in his ward, with efforts to address it spanning nearly a decade. “We’ve been fighting for this for over seven or eight years, and it’s the first time that this sort of action has happened.”

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