DURBAN North’s very own Banksy is spreading cheer and motivation, one sign at a time.

Various signs, some which have left residents in stitches, and others asking what in the world is going on, have been posted by the graphic designer, whose only intention is to make people laugh through the medium of art.

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“There is way too much seriousness in this world,” said the street signer, who wished to be referred to as Blatant Plant, their Instagram name.

The first sign was erected a few years ago, which said ‘this is a good sign’.

“It was up for a bit, but then disappeared. I discovered it was being used as the roof of a home for a homeless person, which, in the end, I’m okay with,” said Blatant Plant.

Keeping in line with the Random Acts of Kindness movement, Blatant Plant said they loved the idea that these signs brought the possibility of adding a ray of sunshine into someone’s possibly cloudy day.

“We can all do with a bit of random joy in our lives, especially in these times. The feedback I have got from people is really awesome and positive. It’s great to see them working so well. I feel it’s making the world a slightly better place,” said Blatant Plant.

Most of the signage is displayed on the M4, to gain the most exposure. The latest one can be found on Broadway.

“These are also ideal spaces to put up the signs as there isn’t anything else to detract from them,” said Blatant Plant.

“I do not see this as vandalism, because vandalism, by it’s definition, is ‘deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property.’, which this is not. I’m adding something positive,” they said.

If you spot any of these signs along the M4 and Broadway in Durban North, and you like what you see, share your views by snapping a pic, posting it on Instagram and tagging @blatant_plant.

Ward 36 councillor, Shontel de Boer, said while some found the signs humorous, they were in fact illegal.

“If I knew the identity of the person, I would open a police case against him as this is malicious damage to property and vandalism,” she said.

De Boer added that she had been inundated with complaints about the signage from the community, who have been putting pressure on her to ‘do something.’

“I don’t think the person responsible for this has thought about the other side to his actions. He is damaging municipal property and had even nailed one of the signs into a tree. I have personally removed a sign myself and have attempted to remove the one on the M4 highway, however it is attached to the pedestrian bridge using metal so one would need a metal cutter,” she said.

She urged Blatant Plant to stop erecting these signs in the Durban North area.

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