Virgil James
Now that the 2024 national elections have now been concluded, political parties have the responsibility to ensure all campaign posters are removed. All political parties that participated and displayed posters and other related election material for the purpose of political campaigns, did so under the provisions of Section 28 of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality Outdoor Advertising by-laws (2009), which among other conditions, states that:
Any poster contemplated here above, must be removed by the person displaying it within fourteen (14) days after conclusion of the election or voter registration, failing which, the Council shall within 14 days after the conclusion of the election or voter registration notify the relevant party to remove the posters within a time period specified, failing which, the Council may remove the posters itself against a prescribed fee of R500 per poster payable by the relevant party.
Joburg’s Metropolitan Police By-law Unit will remove and collate posters of political parties that have failed to remove their posters and issue fines against the prescribed fee. During elections the City’s electric light poles are covered with campaign posters making streets a hue of colours. However, if left unchecked these make the City look unsightly and become an eyesore, hence the provisions of Section 28.
In terms of sections 8 (1) (J) and 8 (2) (C) and (D) that read with the provisions of Section 27 of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality Outdoor Advertising by-laws (2009), before the elections the City is able to waive the provisions of Section 3 of the by-laws and invoke Section 8(1) (J) of the City of Johannesburg Outdoor Advertising By-law (2009) in order to ensure that political campaigns are not curtailed.
This means that all political parties and independent candidates registered with the IEC are exempted from complying with the provisions of Section 3 of the City of Johannesburg Outdoor Advertising By-Law (2009) which compels them to submit the necessary applications and not be required to pay prescribed fees in terms of these by-laws to display campaign posters.
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