JMPD takes down Solidarity banners because the city has not approved them
Solidarity is preparing for potential legal action against the City of Johannesburg after its eye-catching campaign banners were unceremoniously removed by municipal authorities.
Image: Supplied/ X
Citing non-compliance with municipal advertising regulations, the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) has confirmed that it took down Solidarity's contentious campaign banners from city streets.
Speaking on 702, JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla said the city has strict bylaws regulating outdoor advertising, and anyone wishing to put up signage must first apply through the Department of Development Planning’s Outdoor Advertising unit
“With the information that we do have at the present moment, there is that the signage was not applied for through the City of Johannesburg, and also the City of Johannesburg has the prerogative to decide what kind of messages that should be put up on whatever public space that is with the City of Johannesburg, and that's the reason why the signage was removed.
''There was no application, and also the city has a prerogative on what type of messages should be put up,” he explained.
Fihla clarified that while Solidarity may claim to have paid for advertising space, the JMPD has no record of such an application.
“On our side, we don't have that information from them, and if they do have any type of paperwork that says the contrary, then they let us bring it forward and we'll take it further,” he said.
The process, Fihla noted, involves applying to the Outdoor Advertising unit, with enforcement action by the JMPD only occurring if the proper approvals are not in place.
''They have to apply to the outdoor advertising units, and once that is approved, or if it's not approved, then the JMPD is called in for any type of enforcement for outdoor advertising,” he said.
According to Fihla, the incident is not uncommon, particularly along routes near Wits University and Oxford Road, where unauthorized signage is often put up.
The consequences for illegal advertising can include fines, as well as the impounding of materials and tools used to put up the signs.
“The consequence of the sanctions, of course, is either to be fined, and material and tools used can be impounded,” he said.
The banners, which read “Welcome to the most race-regulated country in the world,” were part of a campaign by the trade union Solidarity timed to coincide with the high-profile summit, aiming to leverage the global spotlight on South Africa to highlight issues of racial injustice, economic decline, and governance failures.
However, the campaign has sparked controversy and drawn sharp criticism from government officials.
On Monday, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi wrote on X and accused the creators of the banners of seeking to undermine efforts for transformation towards an inclusive society that acknowledges the injustices of apartheid.
"Racists are loud and clear! They hate transformation and are busy vulgarising our efforts to build an all-inclusive country that recognises the injustices of apartheid. We must defeat them. To do that we must bury our petty differences and unite the like minds and push them back," said Lesufi.
Solidarity has indicated it is considering legal action, asserting that it followed all necessary procedures through an advertising agency.
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