Illegal advertisements have once again become an eyesore across the city, with posters plastered on traffic lights, street poles, road signs and other municipal infrastructure despite previous efforts to remove them.

The latest wave of illegal posters has sparked renewed frustration among residents and businesses, who accuse the City of Mbombela of failing to act against those responsible.

Since October 2024, community organisation We Care 4 Nelspruit has undertaken several campaigns to remove hundreds of illegal posters from public infrastructure across the city. The most recent took place in May 2026. Their efforts briefly restored the city’s appearance, but within weeks new posters began appearing in small numbers before gradually spreading throughout the central business district and into several residential areas.

ALSO READ: We Care 4 Nelspruit tackles abortion posters

Many parts of Mbombela are once again covered with the unauthorised advertising.

Illegal advertising threatens tourism

Mbombela serves as the gateway to some of South Africa’s most popular tourism destinations, including the Kruger National Park.

Business owners say the uncontrolled proliferation of posters creates the appearance of neglect, undermining the city’s image and discouraging investment.

“Mbombela is the capital of Mpumalanga and one of the country’s major tourism hubs,” said resident Ethan Oosthuizen. “Visitors should be welcomed by a clean and well-maintained environment, not poles and traffic signs covered in illegal posters.”

ALSO READ: Mbombela CBD flooded by illegal advertising posters despite recent clean-up efforts

He argued that the problem persists because there have been no visible arrests or prosecutions of those responsible.

“I believe that stronger enforcement is needed to deter repeat offenders,” he said. “People put them up at night and during the day, knowing that they will not be punished.”

Residents demand municipal action

While community organisations such as We Care 4 Nelspruit have demonstrated that the posters can be removed through volunteer efforts, residents say the responsibility ultimately rests with the CoM.

Community members are once again calling on the municipality to intensify by-law enforcement operations, identify those responsible for the illegal advertisements and impose penalties to prevent the problem from recurring.

Spokesperson Joseph Ngala said the CoM is aware of the posters and will remove them. He called on the public to report those responsible.