Gwanda Town Council (Advertising) By-laws, 2024

Gwanda Town Council has new advertising by-laws, approved by the Minister responsible for Local Government and Public Works under the Urban Councils Act. They are substantially identical to by-laws being made for other councils in the same round.

No one may place, exhibit or display any advertisement — poster, banner, placard, billboard, notice or device — on a road or in a public place without the council's permission, and no one may erect an advertisement on a building, land or public place without paying the advertisement fees the council prescribes by order. Business advertising painted on or fixed to an omnibus or commercial vehicle is exempt, as is a sandwich board or vehicle in transit to an approved site, and signage already permitted under the Regional, Town and Country Planning (Advertisements) Regulations, 1976 or an approved local plan or scheme.

Advertisements are banned outright on electricity standards, parking meter standards, trees, traffic signs, bridges, road furniture, traffic circles and traffic islands controlled by the council, in positions that create a hazard or obstruction, that are a nuisance to neighbours, or that the council has prohibited. The council may permit Zimbabwe Electoral Commission election and referendum advertising on roadside trees and portable boards where no hazard arises, and may allow local event advertising on a council poster board.

Applications must be in writing, setting out the advertisements, their number and intended locations. The council may grant with conditions or refuse with reasons, may cap the number of signs on any property, and may revoke or vary permission at any time — after which the applicant must remove the advertisements. It may charge an application fee and a removal deposit.

Event advertising must come down within twenty-four hours of the event ending. The council may remove advertisements that are unapproved, non-compliant, dangerous, too brightly lit, projecting over a council street, or behind on billboard fees, after twenty-four hours' written notice, and recover the removal cost from the owner. Content rules prohibit adverts that are immoral or offensive, likely to promote unlawful behaviour, likely to tarnish the council's image or containing hate language, along with oversized, unapproved-material or uncertified signs.

Readers should note that no fine amount appears in the by-laws. Every offence is punishable by a fine "specified in an order of council", so the amounts must be obtained from the council. The by-laws also have an internal inconsistency: section 7(5) says obstructing a council official attracts a fine "as specified in section 9 of these regulations", but section 9 itself does not state a figure — it too points to a council order.