Johannesburg and Cape Town set fines for parties that leave election posters up
Cape Town will remove leftover posters by November 18 and bill parties R123.48 each, excluding VAT, while Johannesburg issues R500 per poster after a warning.
The City of Cape Town has set Wednesday, November 18, as the deadline for political parties and independent candidates to remove election posters and swivel banners from streetlights and poles. Any left after that date will be taken down by the city and charged to the party at R123.48 per poster or banner, excluding VAT.
Johannesburg has a separate process under its outdoor advertising by-laws. Posters still up two weeks after the election will first trigger a warning from the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department, then a formal notice setting a deadline to clear them. If they remain, the city will bill the non-compliant party a penalty of R500 per poster to recover removal costs.
Both municipalities say leaving campaign material up is public littering that makes the city unsightly and compromises road safety. Residents who see posters after the deadline can report them in writing to Deputy Municipal Electoral Officer Catherine Overmeyer.
Why it mattersParties that miss the deadline will pay the removal cost themselves, at R123.48 per item in Cape Town and R500 per poster in Johannesburg.