Illegal ads in the north covered with illegal stickers promoting Dinokeng region
“Technically it is still illegal, but it is the lesser evil and promotes something good instead of drugs and illegal abortions.”
The Tshwane metro has slammed the placement of illegal adverts, posters and stickers on public infrastructure like lamp posts and traffic signs – even those “covering up” other illegal adverts.
Posted on traffic signs, lamp poles and other public infrastructure next to main roads and residential areas throughout Pretoria, are illegal advertisements for “penis enlargements”, “abortions” or “finding a lost lover”.
“In terms of said by-law, no person shall erect, maintain or display a sign or allow any other person to erect, maintain or display a sign in a place or on a building or structure that is visible from any public space without the consent of the municipality,” said metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo.
Recently, however, motorists in the north of Pretoria have spotted new stickers covering some of these illegal ads, promoting the Dinokeng area.
Sick and tired of scrubbing illegal ads off poles and traffic signs, a resident in the north of Pretoria claimed responsibility for the Dinokeng stickers now covering these ads in Sefako Makgatho (Zambezi) Drive.
“I know placing the Dinokeng.co.za stickers on is also illegal,” said the resident who wished to remain anonymous.
“Best is for all to be removed and cleaned, but council is not doing it, and the penis enlargement adverts are pasted on with a kind of paper that is quite difficult to remove.”
The resident say he had previously taken part of community clean-up projects, trying to remove illegal adverts from public infrastructure.
“You spend so much time and effort trying to scrub off that sticky paper, and the next day there will be more ads glued on again.
“Not only is this vandalism, but the people posting these illegal ads cannot be tracked. We have called these numbers advertised and it seems the suspects are using prepaid SIM cards, which they can quickly discard when the authorities are alerted.”
The resident said many of the illegal ads were allegedly promoting drugs, prostitution and abortions.
“Covering these ads with other stickers is also illegal, but is the lesser evil as it promotes something good.”
The resident said the cover-up stickers were posted over illegal ads in Sefako Makgatho Drive between the N1 and Mamelodi, as well as 20 km further north.
“We are not promoting one specific business or attraction, but rather the entire Dinokeng area.
The website is mainly a tourist guide, listing attractions and accommodation in the Dinokeng area.
Dawid Boshoff of the Dinokeng Game Reserve said they were unaware of the stickers put up in the area.
“As far as we are aware, the website is owned by a private company. Although the game reserve is listed as one of the tourist hubs in Dinokeng, we are not part of the company or this initiative.”
The anonymous resident said the intention of the stickers is to curb crime and help promote a struggling region.
But as good as the intent may be, it was nevertheless illegal, said environment and agriculture management MMC Dana Wannenburg.
Mashigo agreed, adding that anyone found guilty of advertising outside without the metro’s consent could be prosecuted.
“The aim of the City’s bylaw is to provide for the regulation of outdoor advertising on or visible from all public spaces in the Tshwane municipal area,” said Mashigo.
He said other provisions of the bylaw is that no sign shall:
– constitute a danger or cause an obstruction to persons or premises
– be so placed as to distract, or contain an element which distracts, the attention of drivers of vehicles in a manner likely to lead to unsafe driving conditions
– be illuminated to the extent that it causes discomfort to adjacent residents or inhibits the vision of approaching pedestrians or drivers of vehicles
– be attached to traffic signs or signals, combined with traffic signs, obscure traffic signs or signals, create confusion with traffic signs, interfere with the functioning of traffic signs or create road safety hazards
– be placed on traffic islands or be attached to power masts, trees, pillars, fencing, electrical substations or any other similar structures.
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