An unauthorised billboard installation in Bryanston has come under fire after Ward 102 councillor Lucinda Harman flagged the issue in a video on July 2.Harman alleged that the contractors on-site lacked proper permits. When our team visited the site on July 3, at least six workers were busy erecting the structure.

Read more: Watch: Outrage over another unauthorised billboard at Winnie Mandela and Ballyclare
A man claiming to be the site manager produced a wayleave document, but its authenticity was quickly disputed.The City of Johannesburg’s Department of Development Planning has since confirmed the document is fake.

Key red flags include a bogus reference number, inconsistencies in listed locations, irregular city stamps, and the misuse of an approval number issued to a different company.The city has stated that the wayleave has now been revoked, and the media company has been ordered to cease work immediately and consult the City’s Outdoor Advertising Department for clarification.

The city outlined the following critical issues with the purported approval:

• The media company did not submit a declaration during the prescribed declaration window (August 1 to September 30, 2019).
• The reference number cited does not exist in the city’s outdoor advertising database.
• The approval letter inconsistently refers to multiple locations, including a farm portion, road reserve median, and erf, which is described as technically very wrong.
• The document features irregularities with city stamp placements and page formatting.
• The stated duration of 60 months is incorrect; approvals granted in 2021 were valid for a maximum of 36 months.
•  The reference number used mimics an approval issued to a different media owner.

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