City clamps down on billboards

ADVERTISING on huge and ugly billboards that are springing up like mushrooms in Windhoek, spoiling people’s view and leading to the destruction of protected trees, will be regulated more strictly, the City Council has decided.

Billboard advertising in Windhoek has grown to such an extent over the past seven years that existing regulations have become outdated. “The City of Windhoek does not have law enforcement mechanisms that would ensure compliance with the (existing) outdoor advertising policy and regulations,” the agenda paper for last week’s City Council meeting noted.The municipality appointed two consulting companies, one from Namibia and one from South Africa, last year to work out a new outdoor advertising policy that was completed recently.The policy classifies the various types of outdoor advertising and sets specifications, regulations and tariffs for each.The Council last week approved the new policy at its last meeting for the year.Although the consultants recommended that a department be created in the municipality to handle outdoor advertising and enforce adherence to the new regulations, Council decided to appoint only two officials to that section.It was also noted that many large billboards are erected on private property in the city, causing the municipality to miss out on advertising fees.The Council agreed on a grace period of one year from the date of promulgation of the new policy to give existing advertisers time to comply.During the same meeting Council approved the erection of a large advertising screen in Post Street Mall in the city centre for one year.”The City of Windhoek does not have law enforcement mechanisms that would ensure compliance with the (existing) outdoor advertising policy and regulations,” the agenda paper for last week’s City Council meeting noted.The municipality appointed two consulting companies, one from Namibia and one from South Africa, last year to work out a new outdoor advertising policy that was completed recently.The policy classifies the various types of outdoor advertising and sets specifications, regulations and tariffs for each.The Council last week approved the new policy at its last meeting for the year.Although the consultants recommended that a department be created in the municipality to handle outdoor advertising and enforce adherence to the new regulations, Council decided to appoint only two officials to that section.It was also noted that many large billboards are erected on private property in the city, causing the municipality to miss out on advertising fees.The Council agreed on a grace period of one year from the date of promulgation of the new policy to give existing advertisers time to comply.During the same meeting Council approved the erection of a large advertising screen in Post Street Mall in the city centre for one year.