By Nangamso Mabindla
19 July 2004

THE BUFFALO City municipality is clamping down on unauthorised advertising signs around the city.

The City's communications manager, Darby Gounden, says unauthorised signage along roads is a danger to pedestrians and motorists. It obstructs a view of the road and oncoming traffic, and distracts drivers.

"In view of this potential danger, the municipality has recently established the commercial advertising signage control branch to deal specifically with these matters," says Gounden.

The new branch falls under the architectural division of the directorate of development planning.

"We issued letters to some members of the business community asking them to remove such unauthorised signage. In a three-month period, starting in April, a total of 91 notices to remove unauthorised advertising signs were sent out," says Gounden.

The City's advertising signage controller, Mbewu Mbolekwa, says most of the businesses removed the unauthorised signs.

"When some businesses received the warning they immediately removed their signage. We started out in Mdantsane, Chiselhurst, Gonubie and other places in the city."

However, some businesses have not complied with the instruction to remove the unauthorised adverts.

"There are some businesses in Gonubie in particular that have not responded to our plea. We're going to call our maintenance people to remove such signage. If there are still some left, we are looking to go out in full force this week to remove these," says Mbolekwa.

According to Mbolekwa, the council has the right to remove such signs and regain the costs from the offending parties. "Offenders who refuse to pay the costs of removal of the unauthorised signs could face disciplinary action," he says.

Gounden is grateful to businesses that have complied with the municipality's plea and says their cooperation matched the mayor's call last week for businesses and the municipality to work together.

"If businesses require advertising signage, it is a requirement that an application be made to the municipality," she says.

Applications and enquiries can be directed to Mbolekwa, the advertising signage controller, on 043 705 2019.