JMPD’s impounding of ad material outlawed

THE Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) has been stopped from impounding advertising material affixed across the city over bylaw violations due to its weak and nonexistent systems, allowing a free-for-all.

- LOYISO SIDIMBA

The Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, on Friday declared the JMPD’s actions in impounding equipment used to affix advertising material for advertising time and delivering such equipment to the municipal pound were unlawful.

Additionally, the high court interdicted the metro police and the municipality from using their impoundment powers as enforcement for compliance with the Outdoor Advertising Bylaws 2009 on two companies — Van Till Outdoor and Double Option Trading.

The two firms hauled the municipality and the JMPD to court following a February 2023 incident in Sandton, where JMPD officers impounded a vehicle, stepladders, and an advertising banner due to be flighted on a Double Option Trading billboard on Sandton Drive.

According to the companies, an officer instructed the driver to follow their vehicle to the city impound yard and was later issued a document labelled an impound notice, recording that the reason for impounding was violating the outdoor advertising, advertising signs, and hoarding bylaws. A release fee for the impounded Property was set at R3 501.